NASTY WOMEN

In 2016 the worldwide anti-Trump art movement ‘Nasty Women’ fundraiser exhibitions for Planned Parenthood and women’s rights, started in New York. I founded and curated one of the sister shows, Nasty Women Amsterdam in 2017 & 2019. Three years before this movement I had a solo show with 2000 silicon fetuses to question the pro-life movement: Art of What.

ART OF WHAT

The exhibition Art of What is a response to demonstrations of the Christian pro-life movement which uses every possible means to horrify abortion. They show gruesome pictures with the slogan ‘Art of Abortion’ to frighten people. Children are indoctrinated into sampling little silicon 12-week-old fetuses to passers-by, as shown in the documentary Jesus Camp (2006, directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady). These little fetuses are the core of the exhibition. The works are created with different materials, mostly feminine, like knitting needles, clothes hangers and tights. 2,000 fetuses were ordered, and went out of stock, which prevented the pro-life organisation to use them for their own activities.

12 WEEK OLD RUG, Deep-piled carpet of 1,000 silicon fetuses, ø51 inch (ø130cm), 2014

Installation view

CAUCASIAN $30.00, ETHNIC $29.50
The fetuses come in two colors, caucasian and ethnic. However, in the womb fetuses of every race are the same color: flesh. Also, ethnic fetuses are cheaper than Caucasian ones.

Alkyd on canvas, 55 x 86" (220x140 cm) each, 2014

HOLD ON TIGHT
Tights, 750 silicon fetuses, 7x7x15" (18x18x36 cm), 2014

HONEY, IF MEN COULD GET PREGNANT, ABORTION WOULD BE A SACRAMENT
Quote by an eldery Irish woman taxi driver in Boston in 1971, said to Gloria Steinem (1934), American feminist, journalist and activist and Florynce Kennedy (1916 - 2000), American lawyer, activist, civil rights advocate and feminist.

Acrylic, oil, tights and collage on canvas board, 16x12inch (42x30 cm), 2014

BY ANY MEANS

Chandelier made of 60 clothes hangers, 121 knitting needles, 121 fetuses. 74x33x33inch (188x84x84 cm), 2014

HOLD ON TIGHT TOO

Ode to Senga Nengudi. Tights, 50 silicon fetuses. 40x78" (100x200 cm), 2014

72 GRAPES

3 stockings, 100 silicon fetuses, 4x4x12inch (10x10x30 cm) each, 2014

756 DAYS

27 empty strips of birth control pills, swallowed by the artist in two years. Mounted on board, 12x13inch (30x33cm), 2014

1792 DAYS

64 empty strips of birth control pills of swallowed by the artist in five years. And one forgotten pill. Mounted on board, 15x20" (39x50cm), 2014

280 DAYS

The nightmare. When you get pregnant in spite of using the birth control pill all your life, it will take 280 days to the moment 'beschuit met muisjes' will be served. Beschuit met muisjes, biscuit with little mice (sugared aniseed in pink and white), is the traditional food served in the Netherlands to celebrate the birth of a baby.

One birth control pill strip filled with 'muisjes', 4x1.5" (10x3,5cm), 2014

NASTY WOMEN FUNDRAISER EXHIBITION

The first shipment to more than 25 Nasty Women fundraiser exhibitions in the US, Mexico, Europe, and Australia was sent to New York City: 18 labeled and numbered silicon fetuses and 18 postcards. Together these fetuses, sold for $20 each, raised more than $5000 for women’s rights in 2016-2017

NASTY WOMEN AMSTERDAM 2017

Nasty Women NYC was started by Roxanne Jackson and Jessamyn Fiore with a Facebook post that read: Hello female artists/curators! Let’s organize a NASTY WOMEN group show!!! Who’s interested??? This show had more than 400 artists and raised $50,000. In many cities, worldwide, grassroots Nasty Women fundraiser exhibitions were organized.

I founded Nasty Women Amsterdam with the help of Josilda da Conceição Gallery: 184 Nasty Women artists from 27 countries participated with 240 artworks. During the exhibition and auction €16.000 ($17,000) was raised. This is the Amsterdam sister of Nasty Women NYC, a group exhibition that serves to demonstrate solidarity among artists who identify with being a Nasty Woman in the face of threats to roll back women’s rights, individual rights, and abortion rights. The money was donated to Women on Waves, COC Amsterdam and She Decides. The gallery was packed, a line of people outside around the block, a huge success.

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, and founder of SheDecides, Lilianne Ploumen and Josilda da Conceição, host of the Nasty Women Amsterdam exhibition.

In the middle, is the world-famous founder of Women on Waves and Aidacces.org Rebecca Gomperts. Left of her, writer and philosopher Simon van Saarloos (panter coat).

NASTY WOMEN/#TEAM FEMKE 2019

Women on important positions all get a lot of sexist dirt thrown at them. That’s why Nasty Women Amsterdam organized a second art exhibition & fundraiser in Amsterdam, in collaboration with artist Tinkebell and debate center De Balie. To fight misogyny in support of the first female mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema. It was a huge succes! €20.000 ($22,000) was raised for charity: Elance Academy: Girls inspire Women, Women inspire Girls and Doctors of the World: Birth control consultation for undocumented women.

235 INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS

Artists from all over the world participated, from South Africa to New Zealand, ages 20 to 80, all genders, upcoming and world famous: Marlene Dumas, TINKEBELL., Terry Rodgers, Silvia B, Sacha de Boer, Berend Strik, Sarah Maple, Hester Scheurwater, Anouk Griffioen, Max Kisman, Inge Aanstoot, Sylvana Simons, Barbara Broekman, Maxime Duvall, Liz Nielsen, to name a few.