Fruit, Feminine, and Sexual.

Fruit, Feminine, and Sexual.

These words immediately bring to mind the story of Adam and Eve. However, the heterocentric biblical story is not just about reproduction but the art of sexualizing fruits. For example, Medieval commentators linked this story to an erotic temptation in general. The sculpture "The Temptation of Adam and Eve" from the 19th century depicts Adam, Eve, and Adam's first wife, the iconography of the female snake that originated in the 13th century. The serpent, sometimes identified as Lilith, a demon or spirit from Mesopotamian mythology who was Adam's first wife in Judaic lore, tempts Eve with the fruit of sexual knowledge. Thus, this commission piece is inspired by Adam and Eve's story.

In light of this, I began creating this piece by switching figures and adding fruits from "The Temptation of Adam & Eve by the Devil," located in Notre Dame de Paris, France. However, the movement of figures wasn't dynamic enough to say this is pleasurable or sexual, so I found another piece that visually represented empowering females for modern eyes. I recreated the work from this starting point to incorporate the female snake and grapefruit flowers to bring more sexual energy while maintaining femininity.