In terms of biology, periods have a logical and orderly explanation. But socially, this monthly occurrence deeply affects and complexifies the lives of the people who undergo it every month. These art pieces created and curated by women touch upon the nuances of periods, and how they are so much more than just cycles of bleeding. Each piece sparks a different reaction, but they all depict a truth about periods that not only resonate with those who endure them, but also those who have never experienced them.
1. Rupi Kaur, Photography & Poetry
A piece titled “period.” that she directed, photographed, and wrote, Rupi Kaur captures the reality as well as the beauty of periods. Her photos not only accurately depict lived experience, such as having to use a hot water bottle for painful cramps, staining the sheets, and bleeding in the shower, but their composition also brings out the glory and beauty in these normally shameful tasks. Unfortunately, Instagram did not initially share this interpretation, and the platform censored and deleted her photos. But true to her activist and poet self, Kaur responded to the incident with grace. As an artist and writer, Kaur’s poetry provides the perfect accompaniment to these photographs. While each line in the piece is stunning, the last one in particular soars with power: “we menstruate and they see it as dirty. attention seeking. sick. a burden. as if this process is less natural than breathing. as if it is not a bridge between this universe and the last. as if this process is not love. labour. life. selfless and strikingly beautiful.”
2. Cassandra Calin, Comics
Along with painful and powerful, periods can also be outlandish and funny. Cassandra Calin captures the hilarity of periods, as well as the life of modern women in general, with her comics that she posts on her Instagram account, as well as sites like CollegeHumor. Cassandra’s drawings capture the ways periods throw plans—such as vacations and healthy eating— completely off kilter.
3. THINX, Ad Campaign
Founded by Miki Agrawal, Radha Agrawal, and Antonia Dunbar, THINX is a company that makes “period panties,” or underwear with built-in lining that one wears during menstruation. THINX promotes the underwear as comfortable and secure—an ideal substitution for pads and tampons. While THINX is a company and not a coalition of artists, their thoughtful ad campaigns might as well be art. Complete with honest imagery such as a grapefruit for the vagina and an egg yolk for menstrual flow, as well as witty and relatable captions, THINX ads actually approach women rather than objectify them. Not only does THINX resonate with women, but also trans people who menstruate. The company featured trans male model Sawyer DeVuyst in an ad campaign that ran in the New York City subway. While landing THINX ads in the subway was a rigorous process, the transit system now finally boasts the ads, thus furthering a much-needed dialogue surrounding menstruation.
4. Elonë, Street Art
Elonë, a young feminist from Germany, took to the streets with pads to combat issues that plague women’s lives, such as period stigma and rape culture. The pads, which Elonë stuck onto lamp posts and other popular city forums, add an additional punch to the messages that reject patriarchal standards. They also dispel the idea that women are sexual objects or fantasies, and reinforce the fact that women are real people with bodily functions such as menstruation. Elonë’s project demonstrates how periods can serve as a platform for advocacy and reclamation.
5. Sarah Levy, Portrait of Donald Trump
During a debate last year between the presidential candidates, Donald Trump accused FOX anchor and moderator Megyn Kelly of having “blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever” when she questioned him about his track record on verbal abuse toward women. His hotheaded response reignited the debate on period stigma, which perpetuates the myth that menstruation makes a woman inadequate at her job. Sarah Levy, an artist based in Portland, Oregon, decided to prove to Trump wrong in the most artful, confrontational way by painting his portrait using her own menstrual blood. By honing her craft through a product of her period, Levy’s art debunks the stereotype that women cannot perform well while menstruating.
Each of these five artworks tackle the bloody, achy, and fierce phenomenon of menstruation in differing ways. Ultimately, they add up to form a larger art piece, one that portrays menstruation as dynamic and multifaceted, rather than static and dishonored.
