'Puerta' exhibit celebrates female sexuality

"Leave the kids at home," warned an online invitation to Mitch Mauricio’s Puerta, the Valentine exhibit of Pablo Gallery. What makes a Valentine exhibit, I had to wonder. I also wondered if I would regret bringing my far-from-legal Valentine's date along. No baby-sitter, no choice, so seven-year old in tow, I approached the door, observing the other guests' apprehensive looks. No one actually stopped us, so we went inside. Of course, I wasn't completely unprepared, and I had already briefed my Valentine about the photographs, which were, to say the least, not your usual portraits. Although the 29 year-old Mauricio has been a photojournalist since she was a student at De La Salle University, Puerta is her first solo exhibit. "I wanted my first exhibit to be something I strongly believe in," Mauricio says of Puerta, which features twelve vagina portraits in an attempt to address the disconnect between women and their sexuality. Growing up, we were always instructed to be modest. The typically strict Catholic upbringing meant we were used to detailed dress codes. Our skirts, which would be inspected, were a prescribed number of inches below the knee. Bras must be flesh, cream, beige or white - breasts must not only be covered, they must also be hidden. On the few occasions that we would come in casual clothes - civilian, as we referred to it - the rules were so complicated it would be easier to just come in uniform. Legs were considered indecent, and arms too. Don't even think about the neck, much less cleavage. Backs were also out of the question. Of course, "private parts" were taboo, and discussed only in the context of reproductive health. "Yes, there was a class on sex education pero it was very scientific. We weren't even encouraged to look at our vaginas, to know what it looks like. Masturbation was never mentioned, because I guess they didn't want us girls to get any sexual feelings. You have to be a virgin when you get married, basag na baso ka na kapag nag-premarital sex ka, etc," says Mauricio.

Having grown up in this environment, it came as no surprise that she eventually realized that even as an adult, she had a vague understanding of her own sexual identity, mostly ignoring her urges and desires. "I came from a Catholic all-girls school that taught us we should close our legs, not touch ourselves, not explore ourselves, first boyfriend should be your husband, etc," Mauricio says. The same attitude was also the norm outside of school, she added. "In general, hindi ine-encourage ng society pag-usapan ang sex or sexuality --- lalo na ng babae. So I grew up na disconnected sa vagina ko, sa sexuality ko. I felt that I wasn't in touch with a part of myself, parang may kulang sa understanding ko sa sarili ko. And I learned na hindi lang ako ang nakakaramdam nung disconnection na yon, that other Filipino women also felt the same way. Natutunan ko while talking to girl friends na may kulang/mali sa tinuturo sa ating mga kababaihan," says Mauricio. This realization prompted her to recognize these often ignored aspects of her personality and to document her discoveries using her camera. She embarked on a project to find out whether other women felt the same way about their own sexual development. Mauricio set out to connect with other women who were willing to share their stories, hoping to shed light on a topic discussed only in hushed tones, if at all. "We were basically brought up to ignore our vagina and sexual urges, which is abnormal kasi lahat ng babae may vagina. The vagina is actually a doorway to adulthood and birth. Since malaki ang role ng vagina sa buhay ng tao, hindi ba dapat sine-celebrate natin siya at kinikilala nang buong-buo?" asks Mauricio. Five years after this realization, she shares the fruit of her efforts in her first solo exhibit - an intimate collection of photographs that fearlessly explores female sexuality. The photos are devoid of sexual objectification, in the hopes that the audience will come to see the vagina in a different light. These days, Mauricio’s work mostly involves shooting celebrities at GMA Network, and maintaining Anik-Anik Love, her award-winning blog that features artists and their creative spaces. Puerta on the other hand is devoid of commercial glamor, and in contrast to her work with artists and celebrities, very private. In the exhibit, Mauricio attempts to stimulate discussion about women's sexual desires, their unique needs, and the role that female sexuality plays in our lives. "Learning from friends na clueless din sila sa sex made me realize na we need to educate Filipino women about their vaginas and sexuality," says Mauricio. In the course of her research, she learned that some of her friends had never been to the OB-gyne, didn’t know how to use contraceptives, and hadn’t seen their own vagina. Puerta celebrates the female sex by introducing women to their vaginas. Mauricio began talking with her friends, explaining how we should get to know ourselves, and then asking if they would be willing to pose for the cause. While some felt strongly about the cause and immediately said yes, some were iffy and said no. Despite the difficulty, Mauricio was already committed. "Tanong lang ng tanong and explain lang ng explain ng cause," she says. While photographing their vaginas, Mauricio would talk to the women about their experiences with sex, growing up, and health. As she worked on Puerta, the reproductive health bill was also becoming a much-talked about issue. Eventually, the project was no longer just about Mauricio's discoveries, but the women's as well. "Their stories made me realize na kailangan na talaga ilabas ang katotohanan na hindi dapat tinatago sa dilim ang vagina. Dapat kinikilala siya nang husto, na dapat magkaroon ng relationship ang Filipino women sa vagina nila/natin," says Mauricio. The photos were arresting, and not just because the subject is usually literally kept in the dark. In the same way that no two faces are the same, every vagina has its own story, a fragment of which is captured in each frame. In one photo, a pregnant woman's belly swells above her vagina, through which new life will soon emerge. In another, there is a glimpse of carefully manicured hands, which, despite the nail polish, pale in comparison to the rarely visible body part that is now the center of attention. As we left the exhibit, a friend asked if I had really brought the seven-year old in. "How did she take it? Was it alright?" I was asked. "Well, yes, why not? She's got one, too," I said. - YA, GMA News Puerta runs from February 12 to March 10 at the Pablo Gallery, open Tuesday to Saturday, 1-7 pm at Cubao X, Quezon City.