VulvaLaVita

VulvaLaVita is a participative project founded four years ago by the Brussels-based artist Victoria Debarre. Through her work, Victoria aims to deconstruct taboos surrounding vulvas by illustrating them and celebrating their differences. Her process begins when she receives photographs of people’s vulvas, that she then draws. The portraits originating from these collaborations are imbued with a sense of nature and rhythm, unique to each vulva.

Victoria wants to highlight the diversity of vulvas that exist, and are seldom represented in the media, science classes or porn. Raising many questions, this lack of representation can cause unrest that is failed to be recognised by educational systems. Too many people end up getting labiaplasties, a surgery to reduce labias, performed by surgeons taking advantage of imposed body norms. It is important to remind all of us that each vulva is unique, as is everyone with a vulva. Labia minora and majora can be long, asymmetrical, wrinkled, smooth, of different colours, each of them different and beautiful. The idea that one type of vulva is better looking than others is an invention of the patriarchy and needs to be refuted.

VulvaLaVita tackles biases and aesthetic norms by celebrating a diversity of vulvas. Noticing the absence of vulvas in the public space, Victoria also wants to take over the streets and created stickers that she sticks everywhere she can. She gives them out freely, her aim being for everyone to participate in her project to invade the outdoors and reclaim body norms. VulvaLaVita demands an end to the invisibilisation of vulvas.