If you’ve not watched Sex Education yet, no doubt you’ll have heard about it. The teen-focused sitcom starring Gillian Anderson landed on Netflix in January and quickly captured the hearts and minds of its audience. We follow Otis (Asa Butterfield) as he attempts to navigate the usual pressures of sixth form – mates, dates, bullies and deadlines – with the added pressure, knowledge and delightful adolescent awkwardness that follows from having a sex therapist for a mother (that’s where Anderson comes in).
Besides being really funny and introducing us to an exciting lineup of rising stars, the series has been praised for tackling love, sex and romance in all their complicated glory. In tandem with the release, Netflix partnered with women artists whose work speaks to the themes explored in the show and asked them to create a new piece that specifically tackles the awkwardness surrounding sex. Multimedia artist Stephanie Sarley focused on genitalia; ceramicists, illustrators and identical twins Liv and Dominique Cave-Sutherland explored Sex Education‘s prevalent topic of virginity; and illustrator Alison Rachel (the talent behind the Recipes For Self Love Instagram account) focused on body acceptance. The pieces produced are great, obviously, and celebrate a lot of the intimate things we’ve all felt uncomfortable addressing before.
Stephanie Sarley (@stephanie_sarley)
“Grapefruit”
Sarley’s earlier piece is all about exploring your sexuality. Here we see how her fun and at times absurd work, which challenges how sexuality is defined and understood, fits so closely with the conversations Sex Education is encouraging. “Sex Education has a humorous way of talking about sex, which is something I do in my art,” Sarley says.
“Fruit Salad”
Inspired by Sex Education
Mirroring many of the key themes explored in the series, Sarley’s new piece “Fruit Salad” celebrates the fact that all our bodies are different. Both the show and Stephanie’s work aim to move us into a more sex and body positive society. Speaking about the work she created for the occasion, Sarley says: “Sex Education demonstrates the complexities of sexuality in all its awkwardness, but in the funniest way possible.”
Liv and Dom (@livanddom)
“Girls Masturbate Too”
This work by sisters Liv and Dom encourages us to embrace sexual expression. They explain that this piece “is depicting how fun and freeing it can be to explore your sexuality alone for the first time, to gain confidence and understanding in your own body as a young person.”
“The First Time”
Inspired by Sex Education
This newly commissioned piece is pretty self-explanatory. They use clay models to suggest the awkwardness and insecurity surrounding virginity – which we all know is reinforced by societal and peer pressure. “It’s something that so many people relate to when recalling their first time or thinking ahead to how it could be,” Liv and Dom explain. “We’re looking at the insecurity and timidity that come with losing your virginity.”
“It was interesting to take a step back from our usual work where figures are more comfortable with their nudity – and to recall what it was like to be a teenager. We’re excited to see how much the series pushes the envelope.”
Alison Rachel (@recipesforselflove)
“Be Sex Positive”
Quite plainly, we should all be more sex positive and Rachel’s illustration encourages us to do just that. Her outlook on sex has much in common with Sex Education’s honest and humorous love letter to human connection, closeness and vulnerability. “I believe that so many of the world’s problems can be addressed through sex positivity and sex education,” Rachel explains.
She adds: “The world is in desperate need of sex positivity that encourages people to embrace their own and others’ sexual expression while being conscious of consent and safety, that shows us how sex can be a tool used to explore intimacy.”
“Masculinity Is Multidimensional”
Inspired by Sex Education
This new illustration explores masculinity in the modern world. Fans will immediately recognise the theme in a number of Sex Education‘s storylines, and Rachel hopes to break down patriarchal views of masculinity and create a safe environment for exploration. “There are so many unconscious lies about sex and sexuality that we are led to believe over the course of our lives and it’s great that this is shedding some light on these very important topics.”