blood stains like ink

navigating period equity through artists perspectives

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There are few issues as fundamental yet overlooked as menstrual health and period equity. Constantly shrouded in stigma, menstruation is looked upon by many as a “taboo” topic, leaving the subset of issues surrounding it often unaddressed. The works curated for this publication serve as a testament to the ongoing struggle for menstruators’ rights and autonomy worldwide, a reminder that their voices deserve to be heard, and a call to action towards lifting the stigma shrouding it.

Menstrual blood is the only kind of blood that is not traumatically induced. Yet, in modern society, this is the most hidden blood, the one so rarely spoken of and almost never seen, except privately by women.

Judy Grahn

Kay, Madeleina. (2024). You Didn't Care, [mixed media].

Huying, Huang, (2023). Monthly, [photography (performance documentation)].

Key issues highlighted include period poverty, which is characterized by a lack of access to menstrual products, hygiene facilities, waste management, and education, affecting women worldwide and causing significant physical, mental, and emotional challenges. The stigma surrounding periods further exacerbates these issues, preventing open discussion and leading to insufficient data and research. Additionally, the environmental impact of disposable menstrual products calls for innovative and sustainable solutions.

Despite government efforts, deep-rooted cultural practices and gender inequality continue to perpetuate period poverty and discrimination, such as ‘period huts’ or Nepal's "chhaupadi" tradition. Addressing these issues requires intersectoral collaboration and increased global awareness. This exhibition aims to show that creative voices are powerful tools for raising awareness and authentically addressing the complexities of period activism.

Sneed,Izzy. (2022). Works: Pad, But I’m Only 10!, I'm a Woman!, [quilted cotton fabric, applique].

When the tigers break free, Ally Zlatar, Acylic, 2023.

As each drop of blood trickles down,
How my senses are sharpened anew, as if just found.
With every cautious step and sweatful glance I take,
I hold myself while barely surviving the long-awaited ache.

words
words
unsolicited advice
and thoughtless words

How bitter and sharp the jolt that dragged on through and through,
But in the presence of ignorance and inattention caused my fury to brew.
Steadying the pace of each of my sisters, we stride together, hand in hand,
For the naturalness and confidence of womanhood is with what we stand.

The sharper they bite,
The stronger we fight.

Hunsil Bhatt

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featured artists

curator

gloria tang yuze

Gloria is a self-taught Singaporean artist who believes in the power of advocacy through artistic expression. Wielding a paintbrush and a catalogue of not-so-cryptic symbolism, she delights in the cathartic experience of art-making, with her work serving as authentic conversations on the never-ending search for purpose, her queer experience, and her mental health.

Now serving as a guest curator, she hopes to encourage viewers to empathize and resonate with the raw honesty radiating from each contributor’s work and to interact with different facets of period equality and menstrual health.

Instagram: @gouachedaway

"A period can be a gift to some and a curse to others. We must deeply understand the diverse experiences of periods in order to achieve true equity."

-a.zlatar, founder of the starving artist

partner organizations

Vending 4 Change | USA
Her Period Dignity | Thailand
With Red | Taiwan