Artists join the fight against FGM

Female Matters is a one-night-only exhibition exploring sexual liberation in the 21st century, while also raising funds for The Dahlia Project – a female genital mutilation support group based in London. Hosted by Polyester mag, a technicolour zine championing all things 'girls rule', the show is an exploration of female sexuality, using art to trace what it means to be a woman today in a cyber-submerged world.

“The web has provided a platform in which women can shape, create and represent their body and sexuality on their own terms,” the curators of the exhibition, fashion designer Clio Peppiatt and Polyester magazine editor Ione Gamble explain. “The Internet has opened up a means for women to not be seen in terms of sexuality through the male gaze. This has also led to a shifting attitude away from shame of women representing themselves as sexual and more towards a tendency of self love and care, which is really positive!”

Sixteen exciting new female artists, including Mary Sims-Howlett, Maisie Cousins and Eleanor Hardwick, will be exhibiting their work alongside a group knicker installation arranged with a selection of zine makers, collectives and creative babes from Anti-Agency, The Mushpit, Me and You, and more.

Yet for all its playfulness, the underlying cause behind the exhibition is a serious and underrepresented issue. While a great opportunity to check out some of the freshest female faces on the art scene, it's important to open a dialogue about FGM. Peppiatt and Gamble explain: “The best way to break the silence about FGM is to check out the charities supporting the cause, become educated on what is going on in Parliament in terms of legislation, and talk about the issue.”

Female Matters will take place on June 4th at Box Studio Shoreditch. For more information on the event and to RSVP, visit the event page here