Aida Silvestri works loaned to Martin Parr Foundation

"After comparing the stories of women from Mali, Gambia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Kenya and Djibouti, I discovered that the majority of FGM cases in the United Kingdom are diagnosed during pregnancy or labour. The aim of this project is to raise awareness in the hope that women, young girls and children, who may not realise the severity or the kind of FGM type they have, are encouraged to attend early screening processes before an emergency occurs. I also hope that this project empowers medical staff to have the courage to speak openly, and the visual tools necessary, when examining women affected by FGM."
— Aida Silvestri

Categorisation of FGM types are not fixed, varying and constantly changing. Working closely with NHS specialist clinics, Silvestri created her own distinct set of sub-categories (adapted from the list published by the World Health Organisation); these are visualised as intrinsic leather pieces stitched onto the black silhouette portraits, and also used as visual aids during medical consultations. Each leather piece is handcrafted and unique, reflecting the particular type of FGM the women portrayed were subjected to: collectively they illustrate the different stages of tissue removal, cutting and stitching, whereas the distinct leather tones resemble the participants’ individual skin colours.

In 2016, Autograph exhibited the work at our gallery in London, and commissioned Silvestri to create six new portraits in the series.