Curtains of the Labia, The Art of Ruth Bircham

A Creator Shaped By Experience

In 1966, British artist Ruth Bircham was born in Stoke-on-Trent. She was delivered barely surviving fetal death, with a stomach perforation. Since birth, she has coped with spinal stenosis, a discrepancy in her left leg, and an umbilical cord hernia. Until she turned five, she didn’t speak and relied on drawing pictures to communicate with her mother. Her step grandmother, who was an artist, encouraged her at nine by purchasing her art supplies to support her painting. In the setting of a satanic ceremony, she suffered many instances of sexual assault by her stepfather at 10 years old.

Fig.1.

Analytical Drawing

Ruth moved to London with her family in 1981 and pursued art and design at Brixton College. She awakened her skills in various media, such as analytical drawing, painting, and sculpting. From 2001 to 2005, she attended Croydon College, where she concentrated on Fine Art and Combined Media. In addition, she gained skills in printing and film editing. Abstract Realism and the concepts of corporeality heavily influenced her natural style and theme.

Fig 2.

Breasts and Genitals

Despite facing unfavorable odds, Ruth remained faithful in her conviction that the naked body should not be taboo. She frequently paints close-up studies of the human body, fixating on the breasts and genitals. Her artwork acts as a medium to examine societal perceptions of specific body parts and the thoughts and emotions associated with them.

Alienation

In 2009, Nigerian artists Adetayo Shoyemi and Ayoola Odupitan collaborated with Ruth to form an arts activism group called ‘Kreative minds’. They held an exhibition titled ‘Exploitation of the internal mind’ at Terra Kulture in Victoria Island. The focus of these exhibitions was on the alienation caused by our heavy reliance on advertising over personal well-being. The Cork Street gallery in London chose and displayed her artwork “Forbidden Fruit” in 2012.

Fig.3.

Sexhibition

Ruth is a member of the Guild of erotic artists. Her outstanding work earned her a second-place nomination from the erotic magazine Jade. In 2015, Ruth displayed her art at the Guerilla gallery and could take part in Sexhibition with the help of crowd funding. She embodies a humanistic and multiethnic approach in her work.

Fig.4.

Vagina Mysticism

Oluwatoyin Vincent Adepoju’s exposition, titled Vagina Mysticism and the Erotic Art of Ruth Bircham (2015), beautifully narrates the essence of Bircham’s work. Vagina mysticism refers to the theory and practice of connecting with ultimate reality through a contemplative relationship with the vagina. It involves seeking an intimate encounter to explore deeper spiritual dimensions. Within the realm of Yoni Tantra, the symbolism derived from The Mass of the Vulva suggests the yoni serves as a metaphorical representation of the gateway through which all births in nature occur. This concept bears resemblance to the representation of the sacred union of Shiva and Shakti. This well-established idea shows that sex is the genuine wellspring of creation in nature.

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Click HERE for the genitalia close-ups of the American sex educator Betty Dodson

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