Feminstrations
Emma Robdale is a neurodivergent artist, writer, performer and academic. After visiting the vagina museum, hidden within London’s bright and eclectic Camden Town, she was inspired to create artwork that depicted menstruation; wishing to draw more attention to ‘hidden’, and often ‘forbidden’ elements of femininity.
“I designed six miniature paintings that aim to illuminate the science surrounding female anatomy, while also incorporating surreal/abstract imagery that conveys personal and figurative perspectives. The pieces are not meant to ‘symbolize’ menstruation, as one might with a lotus or a river, but rather depict it directly, celebrating the female form while also breaking down stigma and taboos surrounding it.
The paintings have all been constructed on small canvases. My main medium was acrylics; I used them to create viscous textures, such as menstruation blood and thick pearl ovaries, the bright nature of acrylics has meant that each painting has stark colour contrasts. To add many of the details I used a mixture of paint pens, coloured inks, and black art pen. My work is characterised by centralising complementary shapes which I then merge with excessive details. I enjoy discovering and working out what is best for paintings while creating; the specifics of the final product are always a surprise.”
Reflections on the artwork by Emma Robdale
1) Full Blood Moon
The word ‘menstruation’ comes from the word moon; both the moon and menstruation have monthly cycles;
This picture depicts the moon as an unfertilised ovarian egg, just before it gets released along with its womb lining.
2) Kilimangina
The volcano represents the external part of the vagina; the magma is menstruation blood.
Mother Earth has peeled away its surface to reveal the ‘forbidden’ truth of menstruation.
A quarter of the world is covered to represent that menstruating women bleed for roughly a quarter of the year.
The erupting magma flow embodies feelings of anger and destruction, which women can face during episodes of PMT and menstruation influenced depression.
3) Wombinescent
The moon is protecting its four ovaries from incoming comets, opting for its eggs not to be fertilised, it then deposits its menstruation blood into the surrounding atmosphere.
4) Womb with a View
The universe is giving birth to itself by fertilising its surroundings via its central womb;
Its sun/moon ovaries help it maintain balance and stability.
5) Wombiversal
Reclaiming Eve’s narrative, the apple represents the story of the first woman, who bit into an apple to acquire forbidden knowledge; her bite also bestowed her with her first period and ‘the burdens and pain of childbirth’.
The apple’s seeds are depicted as the planets of our solar system, which it is birthing into our universe for the now banished Eve to discover.
6) Wombination/Fruit of the Loin:
Menstrual blood contains electrolytes and nutrients which are important to both human and plant metabolisms: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
The carrot is absorbing strength and light from the sun; it processes and transports this energy, finally excreting it as menstruation blood, and fertilising the soil bellow; it can later reabsorb this through its roots.
Small worms are also being nourished, wiggling blindly, they attempt to find and latch upon one of the two potato-like ovaries.
About the Artist:
Emma Robdale is a neurodivergent artist, writer, performer and academic. She is currently based in Canterbury, where she is undergoing her PHD on the topic of Neurodivergent Literature and Creative Writing Studies at the University of Kent. She draws inspiration from her own experiences as a ND woman; this insight fuels her work and artistic philosophy.