Living in Houston, Texas, I saw a growing trend with sexuality. Many people desired to seek out pleasure through sex but often struggled to find deep pleasure in those experiences as they did not know how to connect somatically with themselves. This leads to experiences that were motivated not by a knowledge of the body's desire but by the narrative of social expectations. Houston is a city driven by consumerism and industry, and you can easily spot the stark lack of true natural spaces, which is a disservice to our ability to have holistic sexual experiences, as nature is a loving and gentle teacher of how to connect with our somatic selves. To truly enjoy and find pleasure in natural spaces requires our ability to engage in and dive into our senses.
"Nature Within Us" explores how our relationship with ourselves can be dramatically impacted by our connection with the nature around us, and the importance that our society places on protecting and growing those natural spaces.
"Pleasure in Self-Discovery" - 2024
Acrylic on MDF Wood Panel
"Pleasure in Self-Discovery" is a vulnerable piece about the connection I have with my body, self-worth, pleasure, and the healing practice of mindful masturbation. My relationship with my body has never been much of a pleasant one, however, it was through the last few years of unlearning and healing that I began to develop a kinder, empathetic, and even appreciative bond with myself.
Part of this is through an understanding of my queer identity. Learning that a lot of the social expectations that were placed upon me didn't quite fit the fluidity that I hold. These expected roles - like becoming a wife, a mother, and maintaining sexual naiveté - were not based on my personhood, but placed under the simple banner of being an AFAB person. While queerness did protect me, and offer a way out of that, I still find it incredibly jarring when I stumble back into worlds that hold those beliefs.
The second part of healing the relationship I have with my body came from my solo-sex practices. It can be empowering to be the one in charge of giving your body pleasure, but truly, it was through somatic and mindful masturbation practices that I began to see my body in a different light. Mindful masturbation is a process that taught me not only how to expand my definitions of successful sexual experiences, but also how to explore my body without judgment - avoiding placing a value on where my body receives pleasure. Somatic masturbation experiences then take this base of kindness and openness and map it out, much like constellations map out the night sky. Leading to an ever-changing map of my own pleasure.
"Celestial" - 2024
Oil Pastels, Colour Pencils, and Acrylic on Wood Panel
"Grounding Pleasure" - 2024
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
"Grounding Pleasure" explores the benefits of engaging in somatic masturbatory practices. Practices such as body mapping can be an exhilarating way to discover more about how your body accesses pleasure. What can be an overwhelming amount of new information, can be broken down into more digestible pieces - working that cognitive aspect into our somatic practices. Similar to how we map out the stars through constellations, we can map out these points of sensation and give them informational values. What's really cool is that by having this information we can then ensure that our more goal-orientated masturbatory sessions are not just a 'wham, bam, thank you, ma'am', kind of session, but an activity that can ground us into the present moment.
"Reflective Discoveries" - 2024
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
"Protective Information" - 2024
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
"Protective Information" is a piece that was born out of the frustrations of the sanitizations of sex. Information is a protective agent. We learn how to advocate for our sexual health and pleasure, and can more easily identify when there are agents that could be a detriment to our autonomy and sexual wellness. Post the overturning of Roe v. Wade, we have seen a dramatic increase in the censoring of sexuality, most impactfully in the ability to share and receive non-biased information about sex, pleasure, and relationships. This is seen not just through state legislature - such as book bans, abstinence-only sexual education, and an inability to provide information about abortion care - but also through major corporations piloting the sanitization of internet spaces. Leaving us with a sanitized expectation of sex, an inability to access non-biased information, and a cultural taboo stopping us from being able to have open conversations about sexuality.