Rokudenashiko aka Megumi IgarashiBACK

As an artist, I focus on the motif of my own vagina, which I would refer to as “manko” (MK). My work opposes all discriminatory and ignorant treatment of the vagina. My vagina was scanned by a 3D printer and expanded to a kayak 2 meters long, which is titled “まんぼーと(The Vagina Boat).” I was able to row in a boat modeled after my own vagina. As a result of my 3D printed and sculptural work, I was arrested twice on charges of obscenity. You can read about my arrest and legal battle in my manga, What Is Obscenity? It is my dream to spread manko art around the world. I just thought it was funny to decorate my vagina and turn it into a diorama, but I was very surprised to see how upset people got when they see my works or even hear me say the word “manko.” Even when a TV station asked me to be on their show, they wouldn’t dare let me say “Deco-Man” because “Man” is from the taboo word “manko.” Why did I start making these kinds of art pieces? Because I had never seen others’ vaginas and I felt too self-conscious about mine. I did not know what a vagina should look like at the same time, so I thought mine was abnormal. Manko and vagina are subjects that have been such a taboo in Japanese society. Penis, on the other hand, has been used in plenty of art and has become an acceptable part of pop culture. But vagina has never been considered cute. Vagina has been thought of as obscene because it has been overly hidden; although it is just a natural part of a woman’s body. I wanted to make vagina more casual and pop. That’s how I came to make a vagina lampshade, a remote-controlled vagina car, vagina accessories, a vagina smartphone case, and so on. I wrote a comic book all about these sculptures, which I call “Deco-Man.” I also host workshops for women who want to make their own Deco-Man. I create a model of a person’s vagina using a dental impression agent. To strengthen the model, gypsum is used, and the model is then decorated. I create these pieces for each person individually, in a private room, using a modeling agent that is kind to the body. It is all right if customers come without their materials, but they are welcome to bring anything they’d like to add to the decoration. The final product is shown on the “Gallery” page.

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