The photographic series by Phoebe Wingrove follows on to visualise her friend’s experience of Vaginismus. This condition is incredibly painful, and occurs when any kind of penetration is attempted, whether that is from a penis, tampon, or even your own finger. When this does occur, the muscles in the vagina automatically tighten without the person even knowing, which is why this can be such a difficult condition to diagnose. Its causes can be linked to previous bad sexual experiences, your own fear / thoughts around sex, or from an unpleasant medical examination. 

Matilda experienced 4 years of misdiagnosis, during which one female doctor told her “this might just be something you have to live with”. It was, in fact, an article that her mum showed her about Vaginismus that finally led to her diagnosis. From there, she was referred to a psychosexual therapist, where she had a year’s worth of treatment, most of which included ‘training’ the muscles around her vagina using dilators and breathing exercises. 

The exhibition In the Dark: Vaginismus showcases abstract bodily images of Matilda and her experience of Vaginismus, inclusive of a soundscape that uses her poetic words to narrate her journey. Visitors are invited to follow the evolving emotions of Matilda’s journey around the room, to embody and witness the (in)visibility of Vaginismus through the photographs and sound. Although the condition is invisible to most people, it can be all-encompassing to those suffering, therefore the unsettling soundscape, composed by Joseph Mills, aims to trigger your senses and capture that feeling.