Art series by Isabella Kottek // I wanted to create some text-based slogans that would shine a more positive light on menstruation
Art series by Isabella Kottek
I’m Isabella, a 25-year-old from Melbourne, Australia. I am an artist and illustrator, and I work in a few galleries as an educator — quite possibly the best job in the world! When I’m not working, I enjoy swimming, yoga, drawing, dreaming, keeping up with social media and popular culture, markets, trying to turn normal food gluten free for my coeliac partner, and sitting in the shade.
I was inspired to create this series because of my passion for and interest in women’s health and women’s issues. Growing up, I really hated my period — I was pretty young when I had my first period (11 years old) and mortified! But then I grew to love everything about it, like blood as a symbol of health and fertility, and the whole body synchronizing monthly patterns that occur over the course of a month or so. I’m also really inspired by the technology that has recently revolutionised hygiene for individuals who get their period, like period undies (such as Thinx and ModiBodi) and menstrual cups. So, I wanted to create some text-based slogans that would shine a more positive light on menstruation. A lot of the phrases used are from conversations between my friends and I, who have all had similar experiences that I think most people who get their period can relate too.
For this series I did have an overall aesthetic in mind, but I found that the making process certainly directed how I worked as well. I really wanted there to be a connection between the text and colours, so I found using both bold colours and font, balanced with some more gradients blending on the page with cursive writing, worked well together and also reflected the attitudes towards the topic of bleeding.
