My China

MY CHINA
AN EXHIBITION EXPLORING THE ABSENT NAME FOR VAGINA
SASKIA WICKINS + FLAMINIA VERONESI
6PM THURSDAY 13TH JULY 2017
BREWERS BAR 77 SHACKLEWELL LANE E8 2EB

Penis and willy: two socially recognised names for the male genitalia, used across all age groups and
acceptable to be discussed in conversation. There is no female equivalent.

Vagina is seen as a word that must be avoided, partly due to its biological and medical connotations,
therefore creating public awkwardness. This attitude towards vagina has led to often derogatory,
sexualised or “delicate” replacements.

My China is a body of work exploring the lack of socially accepted language for vagina and how this is
embedded from a very young age.

This miss communication of names creates a feeling of secrecy, with no correct language or space for
the vagina this could lead to lack of reporting sexual abuse, medical issues and unsatisfactory sexual
experience’s.

Saskia Wickins is a collage artist specialising in set design and has been discussing this subject after an
over heard conversation involving a young girl asking when she would grow fluff on her ‘China’.

Flaminia Veronesi is a multi disciplinary artist working across the field of sculpture, set deign and visual
merchandising, specialising in intricate depictions of the human form through plastacine and fabric.

This will be the start of a project that is set to grow involving other artist, male and female, across
disciplines with multiple outcomes, hoping to change the conversation and discussions around what is
essentially, just another body part.