Megumi Igarashi
| Megumi Igarashi | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 14 March 1972 |
| Other names | Rokudenashiko (Japanese: ろくでなし子 / 碌でなし子 "good-for-nothing girl" , "bad girl", "little ne'er-do-well") |
| Occupation | Japanese sculptor and Manga artist |
| Known for |
|
| Notable work |
|
Megumi Igarashi (五十嵐恵 Igarashi Megumi), who uses the pseudonym Rokudenashiko (Japanese: ろくでなし子 or 碌でなし子rokudenashi ["reprobate", "bastard", "good-for-nothing", "ne'er-do-well"] + diminutive feminine suffix -ko [usually translated as "girl" or "little"]), is a Japanese sculptor and manga artist who has received public attention for her work featuring female genitalia. She considers it her mission to demystify female genitalia in Japan where, according to her, they are "overly hidden" in comparison to phallic imagery.
On her website, the artist described how, growing up, she had never seen other women's genitalia, didn't know what they should look like, and was therefore concerned that her own vulva was abnormal. At first, when she began to use a mold of her vulva to create dioramas, she treated the idea light-heartedly. However, after receiving a lot of criticism and backlash, she began to use her art as a statement. She would like women to be able to speak about their bodies without shame, and believes that the vulva should be a "part of the body ... no different from arms or legs". She would like to make the vulva something that is "casual and pop", saying, "[The] vagina is treated like it's something underground and hidden, so I want to industrialize and mass-produce it."
Igarashi has made many vulva-themed works, including a chandelier, a remote control car, necklaces and iPhone cases. The small dioramas are part of series called "Decoman" (a play on the word manko, Japanese for "cunt"). Much of her art was confiscated during a police raid, but photographs document her work. Looking to make something larger, Igarashi considered making a door, and a car, before settling on a kayak, inspired by the connection between female sexuality and the sea. She made a kayak based on a 3D scan of her vulva. She paid for this project through a crowdfunding campaign, sending the 3-D data of the kayak to all donors who contributed over ¥3,000. Those who contributed were sent 3D data of her vulva.
...
Wikipedia