So much of the time it feels like we're walking on a tightrope. We want to stand out and yet be part of the crowd. We celebrate difference and denigrate it at the same time. So often our bodies, our vulvas, get caught up in this tension. With the added complexity of shame, desire, secrecy, and power. As a heterosexual girl who grew up in a culture where the words 'communal changing room' struck horror in my heart, my interactions with other vulvas has been minimal. And I learnt that secrecy and invisibility are not conducive to a positive body image. Projects like The Vulva Gallery show the life-changing power of art and representation. They literally shine a light on the parts of ourselves that are so often shrouded in darkness. My own relationship with the way my vulva looks, my appreciation of it, is changing every day I hop onto Instagram and see another lovely portrait, another story. These portraits help me see that it is our differences that actually make us all the same.

V. - 35 years old