Filmmaker Amanda Tan: "I wanted to make something sexy from a female perspective"
Filmmaker Amanda Tan is well aware of the unseen limitations that are placed on women in Asia, especially when it comes to discussions surrounding sex and sexuality. "Our conservative Asian society is driven by this idea that being sexual as women is somehow shameful, or shouldn’t be spoken of," she says. "But the reality is that this repression creates ugly behaviour: slut shaming, body shaming and the objectification of women everywhere."
Not that it's stopped Tan from speaking out about female sexuality. Her latest work, Drip — created for Strip's latest art exhibition, Voyage to the Vulva-verse, envisions an otherworldly space where viscous glitter oozes suggestively from an assortment of flowers — a pointed reference to the female anatomy and the "ecstasy" it is capable of.
"I think the only way to change this is for people to speak up... I like to create a little anarchy by being as brazen as possible," says Tan. "Every conversation opens up the world to a better perspective of women's rights — even something as simple as a sparkly video piece of female pleasure."
As for the glitter? "We're all sparkly on the inside," she quips, "and we deserve a little fun."
In your description for Drip, you describe the vulva as "a portal to one’s inner self." How did you come to this conclusion in your personal life?
It was this joke my friends and I used to make that our heart lives in our vulvas and vaginas. Sharing yourself, intimacy, is something that is beyond the flesh for me personally, it’s sharing a part of yourself, even for a moment - hence my point of view of the vulva as that portal.
Strip is all about demystifying and destigmatising female sexuality. Is that a topic that's close to your heart?
As a female artist and filmmaker, showing things via the female gaze has been one of the things I am looking to push the boundaries of constantly. I think a woman’s point of view on everything is important, and even more so when it comes to female sexuality and intimate health. We have men governing what women can or can’t do with their bodies, and that needs to change. Everything has a ripple effect, every conversation opens up the world to a better perspective of women's rights, all over the world - even something as simple as a sparkly video piece of female pleasure.
Working with Strip and Two Lips was a no brainer, they make products for women, and they advocate for female artists and voices. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? I am excited that being open with the female anatomy is something we are becoming more comfortable talking about in the mainstream. I’ve always been one for #freethenipple, and I guess in this case, freeing up the conversation of vulva, vaginal and intimate health, being comfortable in your own skin and sexuality.
How far along do you think Singapore is when it comes to speaking openly about female sexuality?
Singapore has such a long, long way to go. I think at the end of the day, our conservative Asian society is driven by this idea that being sexual as women is somehow shameful, or shouldn’t be spoken of. The reality is repression creates ugly behaviour, slut shaming, body shaming and the objectification of women everywhere. We see this every day in the news, Facebook comments from keyboard warriors, etc.
I think the only way to change this is for people to speak up. Personally for me, I like to create a little anarchy by being as brazen as possible. Because sometimes only chaos can cause change.
Art has always been the catalyst for change. Whether it’s writings, visual representations or music, it’s what drives people to see things in a new perspective. In the past, artists and writers were considered the elite of society and merchants were considered lesser than. As capitalism took over, the roles have now reversed. I think it’s important to realise that beyond economical growth, we need to feed our hearts and souls too. How else can we make the world better and have important conversations without the discourse of important ideas and topics — and what better way than through art?
