Speculum (medical instrument), sand beads. The series has 5 blocks: 25 x 120 x 25 cm each, Variable sized artwork inside the block each.

Description

The artist used the word "out" to name the artwork made from the gynaecological speculum - a medical instrument that is used to examine the inside of a woman's body. The title, as a counterpoint, reverses the state of the object's original function, drawing an implicit privacy boundary between what is outside and inside the human body.

The act of encrusting beads on a gynaecological speculum, placing them on the podium, manifests a duality of pride and fragility at the same time. Once the boundary between the outside and the inside is negotiated, it leaves questions on vulnerability, domination and power.

Description is excerpted from "Stratum Zero" Exhibition Guide, 2023, p.4.

Statement

For me, the female body is a complicated, mysterious and beautiful structure. Any invasion or occupation of that structure can cause serious personal damage.

Using gynecological instruments supports my idea of being vulnerable. To me, they are the objects that invade the female bodies; they occupy and divest a woman of power, privacy, beauty and sanctity. In this new series of work, I use gynecology instruments and alter them with interest in exploring and confronting the psychological and personal fears that I have experienced. With this artwork, I would also like to challenge viewers’ psychology and gaze towards the woman’s body.

Original statement by the artist.