Hard Femme : Art: Miss Van

The girls of artist Miss Van (née Vanessa Alice Bensimon), are visions of femininity with an underlying danger and sexuality that invokes ideas of lolitas and Japanese animated porn (hentai for the non-initiated). Probably one of the most famous graffiti artists (certainly one of the most famous female graffiti artists) to come out of France, Miss Van has achieved global success as a major artist. Her art has a very large female audience, who perhaps are drawn to the provocative nature of her suggestive "dolls" as she calls them and also to the counter culture rebelliousness of being graffiti art. She has had work in major art publications like Juxtapoz magazine, and despite her initial rejection of the art world, exhibited her work in galleries around the world.

Miss Van says about her art on her website, "At the beginnings, my dolls were self-portraits. Graffiti has a very megalomaniac side; instead of writing my name, I chose to represent myself through my dolls. I felt a real need to affirm myself, maybe because I have a twin sister and I had to show my difference.Later on when I didn't feel as much this need to mark my identity, my work became.The idea of provocativeness has also a part in my conception of my work. I have always liked painting a sexy doll in an inappropriate place. I want to provoke strong reactions.

My dolls convey a provocative image, sometimes a bit erotic. I wish they disturbed and provoked fantasies I want them to make the viewer react, no matter the reaction. I would like them to make people forget their daily lives.”