Art / Female Sexuality
The artist who wants ‘all women and all genders to love themselves’
Intrigued by how society presents self-love, nudity and body positivity, Bristol-based artist Tamatha-Ann Harris, 34, captures humanity and beauty in her work.
Creating anonymous paintings of the female body, inclusive of transgender women, her watercolour pieces represent “anyone and everyone”, focussing on presentation of the physical body, intimacy and self-pleasure.
Tamatha-Ann describes her work, saying: “It’s very important in terms of patriarchy and misogyny to present female sexuality. My images can be seen as crass, but watercolour adds a lovely delicacy to them.
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“I use natural process, my sketches are hand drawn, they take about ten minutes, they’re done in the moment.”
‘Big Tit Tess’, drawn by Tamatha-Ann Harris
Tamatha-Ann says she’s always been fascinated by the female body, drawing her first nude at 13 and describing herself as “always being a bit of a rebel, and very outspoken.”
Emigrating to the UK as an adult, she says: “I speak candidly, there’s this British attitude of not talking about intimacy, but I want to advocate acceptance.
“The more female pleasure and the female body is talked about, the more normalised it will become. I want the next generation of kids and young people to learn to love their body, and for it to not be sexualised or objectified.”
Creating artwork on the female body has been a lifelong passion for Tamatha-Ann, but she has recently expanded her reach, encouraging “free thinking humans” to join her new collective, Femme de la Creme.
She describes her new venture as “a gathering of like-minded thinkers that support, inspire and encourage each other and have a positive effect on society.” It’s an inclusive space with the aim to create conversations and art, encouraging everyone to be feminist. “Including men! All humans are welcome, there are no labels here,” she says.
The idea for the collective was inspired by The Vulva Gallery on Instagram, which promotes femininity and nudity. Less than ten per cent of Tamatha-Ann’s posts on the platform get seen by users because of the app’s censorship, and believes collectives and like Femme de la Creme and The Vulva Gallery are essential in advocating for body positivity, intimacy and self-pleasure, and normalising it.
Adding delicacy to artwork that could be seen as crass, Tamantha-Ann uses watercolour paints
Looking to the future, Tamatha-Ann is setting up a subscription club call Climax Clique, with subscribers receiving unique gift boxes every six to 12 months and she’s creating a series of pieces on the experiences of trans women.
Through her art and collective, she wants to get people to question their thought processes: “I want to encourage all women and all genders to love themselves and have compassion and for their bodies.
“You know how RuPaul said it – ‘If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?’ You’ve got to be love yourself and be okay with yourself.”
You can find Tamatha-Ann Harris’ work at www.curvesandswerves.com
Main image taken by Jon Craig.
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