PETAL
Dublin Core
Title
PETAL
Subject
Nude
Description
A photographic series celebrating the uniqueness of the vulva. Each vulva pictured is
covered by a petal or flower in an effort to dismantle taboos about female genitalia.
Spanning ages, races, genders, hair types, sizes and shapes, this is a captivating and
colourful compilation, with each image accompanied by a message written by the subject.
Selling points
• Photographic series by London-based photographer and director Bex Day,
created in an effort to dismantle the taboos that envelop female genitalia
• Day’s work has been the subject of a Channel 4 micro-documentary and has been
featured by Wallpaper, AnOther Magazine, The Sunday Times Magazine, Vogue Italia,
the Royal Photographic Society and The British Journal of Photography
• Day has lectured about her work at Nicer Tuesdays (It’s Nice That), The University
of Cambridge, The Hepworth Gallery, and Vogue Italia exhibitions
• Day’s editorial and commercial clients include Adidas, Adobe, AnOther Magazine,
Apple, Bodyform, Burberry, Dazed and Confused, The Face, Fendi, Harper’s Bazaar,
i-D, Levi’s, Louis Vuitton, The New York Times, Stella McCartney, Swarovski and
Vogue Italia and Vogue Mexico
• Foreword by Natalie Alexis Lee, who has more than 110,000 followers on Instagram
Petal is a photographic series by Bex Day, created in celebration of the uniqueness
of the vulva. Each vulva pictured in the collection is covered by either a single petal
or flower to simultaneously reflect their shared qualities and individuality in an
effort to dismantle the taboos that envelop female genitalia.
Colloquial terms for the vagina, including “pussy”, “cunt” and “gash”, have all
been adopted as negatives in the English language; being used as insults, curses or
as an insinuation of weakness or passivity. In society as we know it, the vagina has for
too long been perceived as the lesser sexual organ, conceptualised not on its qualities
but what it lacks in comparison to the penis. Even the word vagina itself evokes a
squeamishness among many, highlighting the urgent need for a change of perspective.
Young children, especially people who are socialised and raised as female,
are brought up to name their private parts “flower” and “foo-foo” among other
diminutive names. This foundation has created a public misconception of what is
considered a “normal” vagina, partially due to typecasting in porn and portrayals in
mainstream media, but also the result of cultural censorship.
The shape, colour and size of each petal has been chosen by each individual
featured to represent how they see their own vagina. The series aims to unify
female, non-binary and female-identifying individuals by showing the similarities of
their vaginas rather than focusing on what is considered different.
Spanning varying ages, races, genders, hair types, sizes and shapes, the series is a
captivating and colourful compilation, with each image being accompanied by a message
written by the subject about their own feelings about and experiences of their bodies.
The book also features a foreword by blogger, author and public speaker
Natalie Alexis Lee, who has more than 110,000 followers on Instagram.
covered by a petal or flower in an effort to dismantle taboos about female genitalia.
Spanning ages, races, genders, hair types, sizes and shapes, this is a captivating and
colourful compilation, with each image accompanied by a message written by the subject.
Selling points
• Photographic series by London-based photographer and director Bex Day,
created in an effort to dismantle the taboos that envelop female genitalia
• Day’s work has been the subject of a Channel 4 micro-documentary and has been
featured by Wallpaper, AnOther Magazine, The Sunday Times Magazine, Vogue Italia,
the Royal Photographic Society and The British Journal of Photography
• Day has lectured about her work at Nicer Tuesdays (It’s Nice That), The University
of Cambridge, The Hepworth Gallery, and Vogue Italia exhibitions
• Day’s editorial and commercial clients include Adidas, Adobe, AnOther Magazine,
Apple, Bodyform, Burberry, Dazed and Confused, The Face, Fendi, Harper’s Bazaar,
i-D, Levi’s, Louis Vuitton, The New York Times, Stella McCartney, Swarovski and
Vogue Italia and Vogue Mexico
• Foreword by Natalie Alexis Lee, who has more than 110,000 followers on Instagram
Petal is a photographic series by Bex Day, created in celebration of the uniqueness
of the vulva. Each vulva pictured in the collection is covered by either a single petal
or flower to simultaneously reflect their shared qualities and individuality in an
effort to dismantle the taboos that envelop female genitalia.
Colloquial terms for the vagina, including “pussy”, “cunt” and “gash”, have all
been adopted as negatives in the English language; being used as insults, curses or
as an insinuation of weakness or passivity. In society as we know it, the vagina has for
too long been perceived as the lesser sexual organ, conceptualised not on its qualities
but what it lacks in comparison to the penis. Even the word vagina itself evokes a
squeamishness among many, highlighting the urgent need for a change of perspective.
Young children, especially people who are socialised and raised as female,
are brought up to name their private parts “flower” and “foo-foo” among other
diminutive names. This foundation has created a public misconception of what is
considered a “normal” vagina, partially due to typecasting in porn and portrayals in
mainstream media, but also the result of cultural censorship.
The shape, colour and size of each petal has been chosen by each individual
featured to represent how they see their own vagina. The series aims to unify
female, non-binary and female-identifying individuals by showing the similarities of
their vaginas rather than focusing on what is considered different.
Spanning varying ages, races, genders, hair types, sizes and shapes, the series is a
captivating and colourful compilation, with each image being accompanied by a message
written by the subject about their own feelings about and experiences of their bodies.
The book also features a foreword by blogger, author and public speaker
Natalie Alexis Lee, who has more than 110,000 followers on Instagram.
Creator
Bex Day
Publisher
Black Dog Press
Date
2023
Format
Hardback, cloth bound
Book Item Type Metadata
Dimensions
20 x 25 cm
Number of Pages
176
Number of images
75
Edition Size
500
Place of Publication
London
Designer
Robyn Collinson
Editor
Aimee Williams
Printer
Black Dog Press
ISBN
978-1-912165-57-5
Website
www.bexday.com
URL Link to project
www.shop.bexday.com
Where to buy
www.shop.bexday.com
Collection
Citation
Bex Day, “PETAL,” Photobook Cafe Photobook Collection, accessed October 27, 2025, https://photobookcafe-archive.co.uk/items/show/1825.