– when something becomes the fuel to keep you going
The idea for this ground-breaking exhibition started over a glass of bubbly in the Cape Winelands with a dear friend. And – as romantic as that setup may sound – it was, in fact, born from a moment of venting frustration. I felt stuck, complaining that no matter how much work, passion, and enthusiasm I poured into what I do, it never seemed quite enough. I was miserable and ready to indulge in more bubbles and self-pity.
Luckily, I have women in my corner who, like me (most of the time anyway), don’t dwell on problems but rather move their energy into finding solutions.
“Why don’t you focus on your art for a little while,” my friend suggested, “and make an exhibition out of it.”
Creating a space to give space to what I do – I loved it so much I went from sorrow to planning mode almost immediately.
A place for stories, stillness, trust, and shared experiences …
I put out a casting call and, before I quite knew what was happening, fifteen women had signed up for casting sessions, allowing me to create duplicates of their vulvas. What followed were special moments, intimate conversations, and a deep trust in my hands knowing exactly what to do. There was no space for worry about the next steps or how something like this might land. Instead I did exactly what my friend had probably intended all along: I took a break and dove deep into the arts. I trusted the process of creating the kind of space I want for what it is I do. A place for stories, stillness, trust, and shared experiences … something to exist without judgement, censorship, shame, or sexualisation.
I’m generally an overthinker, but this one I didn’t overthink. I let my hands show me what to do and my intuition guide each step. My plan was simple: let the vulvas set the tone – raw, unapologetic, gracious, captivating – and create an experience above all else. A place to show up and be real, where kindness is unquestioned and a soft landing possible. A place free of judgement, showing nothing but the raw beauty of us. I wanted to fill the rooms with pleasure and curiosity, and when the Cultural Forum of the Austrian Embassy confirmed funding, there was nothing stopping me from curating this space. With the passion and soul the other artists poured into their works, Vulvasphere – woman beyond the surface not only started, it exceeded every expectation.
Reflecting on the opening night, I’m still floored. Attendance was beyond anything I could have dreamed of, with people showing up for themselves, for each other, and for the space we had created. The moment when Nicole performed her poem to the sounds of the musical piece my husband had composed, the energy in the room was electric. Palpable. I saw nodding heads, silent tears, hands softly holding on to one another. I could feel souls connecting … all because of *us*. Because we were there. Because we showed up, willing to share a moment.
Vulvasphere was about so much more than 'just' viewing art. It was about tapping into the space our art had created. It was about the conversations it sparked, about the emotions we got to witness unraveling, about the many feelings shared with us long after visitors had left the gallery ... Creating something that matters is all I strive towards in what I do, and it’s exactly what I wanted this exhibition to be: something that is a beginning, but never the end. Together with some incredible people, I believe that is exactly what we did.
When we dare to love ourselves without apology, we don’t just change our own story — we shift the tide for everyone.
The waves we made were big, and though they start to settle, I am feeling content, because I can see the current still moving. Just like the ocean keeps flowing, so are we. So are our stories. So are our conversations. Gently disrupting the narrative of the female body being endlessly inspected, corrected, and dissected. Powerfully moving away from the is-my-body-good-enough script and joining the many voices out there counter-balancing shame and silence by showing up. By speaking. By loving themselves hard.
That, I believe, is how we turn the aching silence so many of us carry around our genitals, our pleasures, our desires into a roaring sound of freedom and joy. By being present. By allowing ourselves to land softly in the beauty we all carry inside. Because then, we don’t just speak truth – we become the truth.
Our bodies were never the problem. Our silence was.
To me, Vulvasphere was only a taste of the beginning. I want more, and I’m unafraid to claim it. More in galleries, more in clinics, more in schools, and definitely more in bedrooms. Experiences for the collective and the individual. Spaces that let us love ourselves. That allow us to be loud and sexy as fuck. To be brave. To be seen. To lift the weight of sexualisation and invite us to meet our bodies with unapologetic love and grace.
Vulvasphere could not have happened without the following people:
• Amy Keevy, artist, activist, friend – your love, light, and talent are out of this world. I could not have done this without you.
• Yvette Hess – your courage to show up for yourself, in your art and the world, reflects in all you create and has been such an honour to witness.
• Nicole Biondi, old friend of my husband, new and forever friend of mine – your spirit inspires me, your talent takes my breath away, and your soul meets mine in spaces where only happiness exists.
• Marie Kenny – watching you show up for yourself while offering us a glimpse of the beauty you see is magical. Witnessing the world through your lens has been nothing short of incredible.
• Carla Classen – your guts to explore with different materials and your deep understanding of the power they hold, create magic that is as thought-provoking as it is soft to land in. Thank you for bringing your energy to the space.
• Brendan Adams – being loved by you is the greatest gift life keeps on giving. Thank you for being my inspiration, my calm in the storm, and for not only playing a part in me living a life of pleasure, but turning the sounds of it into music too.
• Mandakini and Reto Camichel – when I asked you to take on the catering for opening night, you leapt in without hesitation. You managed to mix your love for life with your passion for food and turned it into little cups that exploded into taste and pure joy. You didn’t just feed our guests – you turned the room into an experience of its own, inviting everyone to savour those finger-licking-good moments while taking in the art on the walls.
• Christian Mandl and Jana Findlay from the Cultural Forum of the Austrian Embassy – your belief in this work, your financial support, and the way you amplified our voices through your media channels mean the world. Knowing you chose to stand with Vulvasphere and share it within the Austrian community fills me with gratitude and pride.
• And most importantly, all of you reading this – thank you for showing up, offering, sharing, holding space. You are the support I need, the fuel to keep my fire going. We can do this.
