Hairy Triangle
Words by X, handkerchief by The Keeper
Pubic hair grows for a reason. It helps regulate temperature, protects us from bacteria, traps our pheromones, potentially makes us smell more alluring, and lessens friction during sex. So why are we told from an early age that it’s considered unsightly?
The body hair removal product market is worth an estimated £1.13 billion globally. The lucrative beauty industry encourages us to aspire to impossible beauty standards, attained only by plucking, painting, polishing and vajazzling ourselves from top to toe. This commodification of women’s bodies, combined with readily available free online pornography, where every actor is shaved within an inch of their lives, has accelerated our scrutiny of women’s private parts, resulting in a normalisation of the ‘Hollywood wax’. Also known as the ‘Honeymoon wax’, this involves completely removing all pubic hair, returning grown women to a hairless state.
Happily, it looks like the hairy triangle, as a representation of womanly vitality, is making a comeback. In April 2020, Vogue declared the ‘full bush’ to be ‘the new bikini wax’. According to the New York Post in April this year, ‘Gen Z gals are growing out all body hair, calling it “sexy and empowering”’, and flocking to TikTok to share videos of their happy hirsuteness using the hashtag #bodyhairisnatural
Welcome to the revolution, ladies. We have nothing to lose but our overpriced pink razors…
This artwork is part of The Wall of Sexual Heroes, a collaborative textile art piece featured in our previous exhibitions at the Horse Hospital (2022) and Bow Arts Lab (2023). All embroidered, printed and appliquėd handkerchiefs celebrate unsung heroes of sexual emancipation, activism and innovation.
The Wall is an organic work. If you would like to contribute, please get in touch with The Keeper.
