This series is entitled "The Origin of the World" in reference to the famous eponymous painting by Gustave Courbet. Here, the artist seeks to offer a distinctly feminine perspective on the subject of a work originally created by a man.
Whereas Courbet's portrayal of the scene is somewhat prosaic, even trivial, in stark contrast to the nobility suggested by its title, the artist opts for a poetic and refined symbolism, restoring the lyrical aura of the theme. No longer is it a sex languidly displayed to an observer unwittingly transformed into a voyeur by a woman in a posture of post- or pre-coital surrender, but lustrous, iridescent shells shimmering with the myriad colors of its exquisite hues—an authentic gem from the ocean’s depths, from which woman is mythologically said to have emerged, as taught by the famous myth of Venus's birth. Those precious jewels are modestly concealed and revealed within a satin drapery that both protects and magnifies their radiance. The play of voluptuous shapes and lines invites the viewer to all sorts of free and imaginative associations, offering images that suggest and evoke without ever conquering or profaning the sacred mystery of this origin of the world.
