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Dildos Basket
Collection:UAL Art Collection
Date: 2025
Artist: Lechen Zheng
Dimensions:
59 × 40cm unframed
Medium: Digital print mounted on 5mm foam board
Object number: UAC 1160
DescriptionLechen studied BA Photography at London College of Communication. She says that she 'explores notions of female pleasure in Chinese context. During 2010s, in Chinese online forums, women had started to share fetishistic sexual activities shaped by the sexual-repressive ideology led in the country, through the creation of DIY sex toys from everyday objects. Much like artists, they imaginatively connected ordinary objects with sexual arousal and put the aesthetics, shapes and functions into practice.
Inspired by this niche but important online culture, I began to create handmade sex toys and manuals for their usage.
The project reflects not only on the absurdities that result from sexual repression and the lack of education, but also on the ironic creativity that emerges from such contexts. Rather than criticize, it celebrates the ingenuity and resilience of women who redefined pleasure on their own terms'.
Inspired by this niche but important online culture, I began to create handmade sex toys and manuals for their usage.
The project reflects not only on the absurdities that result from sexual repression and the lack of education, but also on the ironic creativity that emerges from such contexts. Rather than criticize, it celebrates the ingenuity and resilience of women who redefined pleasure on their own terms'.