JENNA DUPLESSIS

Jenna DuPlessis is a queer, self-taught artist living and working in Tucson, AZ. Her work explores the female experience, sexuality, and self-perception. She often uses her own image in her work as a sort of visual diary, navigating the tension between vulnerability and self-objectification.

Slut!

“(You say slut like it’s a bad thing). This is my cheeky pushback against the cultural pressure on women to be passive and demure. I am energized every time we collectively take a feminist step forward, but this word is still weaponized against women as a method of control. The word itself exposes our deep cultural misogyny. There is no shaming male equivalent for “slut.” I want us to examine our fear of female sexuality. A slut is simply a woman with bodily agency and freedom, open to pleasure.“

Sex Object

“Quote from Sex Object by Jessica Valenti. This captures my experience since age 14, when I felt the abrupt introduction of the male gaze. I felt a distinct shift - my body no longer belonged only to me, but became an object for consumption. As a queer woman, I grew accustomed to the entitled aggression of men denied access to my body. Here, I’ve externalized this experience, presenting my body as Sex Object, head cut off to match the way it feels. She is only desired, with no desire of her own. “