Spanish artist Cinta Tort Cartró wants you to embrace your stretch marks, period stains and everything else that society asks everyone to hide.
The 21-year-old artist, who goes by the name Zinteta resides in a small town outside of Barcelona, Spain and has taken it upon herself to protest sexism and educate her community (and Instagram followers) about feminism with her work.
Some of her most empowering projects include filling in stretch marks with a rainbow of colours, painting vibrant, multicolored explosions on women’s underwear and legs to celebrate and normalize menstruation. She also photographs women with flowers covering their breasts as her own beautiful interpretation of the #freethenipple movement.
“It all started as a form of expression, but it quickly turned into social commentary of the male-dominated culture we live in,” Cartró told Yahoo! Beauty about her particular brand of artwork. “There are many things happening in my town that I couldn’t be silent on, such as the male micro-aggression toward the female body. I know there are countries that have it worse than here in Spain, but I couldn’t stay silent.”
Her eccentric series is entitled #manchoynomedoyasco, which translates to “I stain myself, and I’m not grossed out by it,” according to Yahoo! Beauty. “We live in 2017. Why is there still stigma revolving around periods?” TBH, we can’t answer that question either.
Cartró, who plans to pursue a master’s degree in illustration, said she was influenced by her own experiences to create art celebrating aspects of the female body that society deems shameful. “I grew up feeling sometimes out of place. I’m tall and big, so it’s important for me to state in my art that everyone is beautiful and those ‘flaws’ are not that,” she said. “They make us unique and special.”
The feminist artist has also used her paintbrush to tackle racism and xenophobia: Not only does she paint and photograph women of all races and ethnicity, but she also recently posted a photo in which women of different races, each with an anatomically correct heart painted on their bodies, embrace in a tight hug.
“I don’t like the way foreigners are treated sometimes here. I’m all about embracing those that need help so everyone can live a great life,” she said.
We can’t stop staring at Zinteta’s works. Keep doing you, girl. 🙌
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