I have received a number of contacts since starting the #eroticcensorship debate. Here is a beautiful and poignant letter from Ms Louise-Kate Allum. I wanted to share her words with a wider audience. Thank you Louise!
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Subject: Ms Ruby May, Standing
Message: I am writing to express my gratitude to you for painting 'Ms Ruby May, Standing'.
It is the most poignant and empowering work I can recall ever seeing.
The effect this powerful painting has had on me is nothing short of inspiring and I have fallen in love with both the execution and important statement it makes.
I consider myself to be a strong, sexual and independent woman, free of any concern of how I am regarded through male eyes. I am blown away by your perfect representation of the true force of female sexuality.
To encapsulate, beauty, grace and strength on a canvas the way you have has invoked a very deep sense of female pride within me.
Thank you again for creating such an important work and for aiding the deeply necessary transition in society for women to be confident and own their sexuality; to know their sexual worth is within themselves and not through the eyes of others. We are women. We are sexual. We will not be ashamed. We are proud. We are Ms.Ruby May.
Let the galleries resist this message that society is so threatened by as we are moving forward and they only serve to prove how media forms would rather exploit the female form than allow us to embrace our own.
We will prevail, they will not take our power - it's ours to give and we will not give it.
Thank you on behalf of women everywhere.
Where words fail, art is heard.