“I had the idea to shoot Vulva Landscapes after filming and photographing a water birth. I was 30 weeks pregnant at the time and had no idea what I was in for!  At WOMAN FEST this year I hoped to create a safe space for women to celebrate their most intimate selves. Women came to the shoot for different reasons; curiosity, to feel accepting of themselves, magnificent even about a part of them that has experienced cultural/social shaming and violence by strangers and their partners. One woman who had recently had a baby said she wanted to stop feeling broken. After their portrait the women told me they felt

 

‘happy… surprised… growing… independent… empowered… womanly… proud.’        Susan Luciani

Vulva Landscapes is now being developed into a touring Gallery Exhibition IN:TIMA:CY: explored, betrayed, broken, reclaimed, through the lens of the Japanese art of Kintsukuroi. The exhibition will feature portrait photography and fine art painting, sculpture, documentary film, art film, dance, art installation with soundscape as well as providing an educational programme for secondary schools, counteracting the dangerous, misogynistic narrative of the current dominant form of sex education of our young people, pornography. 

This Art exhibition is a work of activism, focused on ending violence against women and girls. In collaboration with celebrated Tate accredited artist Hester Berry http://www.hesterberry.co.uk