Know Thyself

Dimensions: 10x30"
Acrylic, enamel, and gold leaf on plexiglass and silk with brass chain and fringe.

"Know Thyself" is about seeing oneself both physically and spiritually as a sexual being. The compact mirror—a staple toiletry, although this one is highly ornamental—is the window into which the subject is familiarizing themselves with their vulva.

Vulva and nipples are forbidden images in United States culture, outside of religious artwork, medical illustration, and pornography. This perpetuates the dogma that the Womxn is either the virgin, the mother, or the whore. Also, because vulva can only be seen in these contexts, many vulva-owners are slow to familiarize themselves with their own anatomy, and subsequently their own pleasure.