→ Dear Ovarian Cyst (2022-2023)
“Dear Ovarian Cyst” is one of several “interactive” publication projects that incorporate the 3D printing process, auto-fiction writing, and publication design. “Dear Ovarian Cyst” reflects on my experience of ovarian cyst rupture and how I started taking birth control pills.
Dear Ovarian Cyst, 2022, Cover PLA 3D print, freshwater pearls, risograph printed white ink on black paper
As a non-binary person, I was compelled to design the book into something in between ornament and digital device. The treatment of ornaments within Western academia can be seen as inherently misogynistic, as it often mirrors the way society has historically diminished and dismissed the significance of women and their experiences. The association of ornamentation with qualities such as insignificance, superfluousness, mere decoration, shallowness, and expressiveness reflects a biased perspective that devalues the feminine. Adolf Loos even went as far as declaring ornamentation as criminal, further highlighting the disdain for elements commonly linked to femininity. This parallels the societal attitudes towards “female reproductive organs,” which are frequently shrouded in taboo or deemed as secondary in importance. The underlying misogyny in Western philosophy’s treatment of ornaments reveals a deeply ingrained tendency to trivialize and undervalue aspects that are associated with or representative of women and their experiences.
The publication installed on jewlery display at the MFA candidacy exhibition.
“I learned that ovaries grow cyst-like structures
called follicles each month around the menstrual
cycle to produce estrogen and progesterone
and release an egg. Around ovulation, follicles
sometimes continue swelling and then turn into
cysts. Usually, these cysts disappear on their own
in a few months, but I guess you decided to stay and
hold onto the estrogen so tightly to the point of your
rupture. Why did you hold onto it?”
-Dear Ovarian Cyst, 2022
Digital Fabrication As An Alternative Publishing
3D model of the pubilcation cover that is being prepared for 3D printing.
Performance As Part Of Publishing
Using prose-like writing style, the publication retells the story of the little mermaid as a metaphor of my ER visit. When you open the clasp binding the book, accordion folded pages burst out. Initially, I felt a sense of shame in addressing the subject matter, however, I soon realized that many individuals, even those assigned female at birth, lack knowledge about their own ovaries and birth control. This revelation emphasized the importance of fostering open dialogue and education about these topics. Merely presenting the book object was insufficient in sparking these essential conversations; it required an active facilitator. This realization led me to develop a reading performance that utilized the text and 3D animation, where I opened the book ornament and delivered an oration. By engaging with the audience in this manner, I was able to break down barriers and create a space for meaningful discourse, ultimately transforming my initial shame into a powerful tool for education and empowerment.
Video projection used for the performance.