Female Energy Series
Female energy is inspired by the taboo that still holds my country, Guinea, by its neck. Speaking publicly about the female body or reproductive system is considered rude, disrespectful and disgusting. One of the things that is never taught in school is Sex. The word Sex can’t even be spoken in public because it is viewed as “Not being educated by ones parents” which in itself is an insult to ones family.
Pregnancy out of wedlock in my country is almost like a death sentence. Does this mean that young women don’t get pregnant out of wedlock? No! In reality, my girlfriend’s older sister, Mimi, became pregnant out of wedlock. Her family were not pleased with her. The entire family stopped talking to her, she was kicked out of her house to go to “husband’s” house. She was publicly humiliated by her family and her friends stopped hanging out with her because they did not want to be seen as “bad girls”.
There is a saying in my country “Saya Kafisa Maluadi” which literally translate: “death is better than being humiliated”. This saying derived from the story of our old emperor, Samory Touré. Thus, imagine how Mimi must have felt being publicly humiliated.
After Mimi gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, her biological mother took her son, Mohamed, to Mimi’s boyfriend’s house. After a few months of baby Mohamed being separated from his mother, Mohamed passed away. Mimi was left devastated.
The story of Mimi is one of the perfect examples of many unjust situations resulted by the miseducation of sex and the taboo that is still in place today about the female body.
As an artist, I want to bring light to this topic. Keeping the hope that one day, this will change. Dreaming that there will be a day when girls will be given the proper information about their own reproductive system, sex, and pregnancy.