“These Pink Lips” Has Something To Say

Back in 2012, I attended a show in Philly that showcased These Pink Lips artwork, I had no expectations. The room was dark in the Dream Building but vivid colors and neon lights lit the path through the exhibit. Bodies of beautiful womyn were painted head-to-toe making these womyn seem extraterrestrial. They were dancing and moving eroticly, I felt energized. Being pleasantly surprised and inspired by the fearlessness of the art and models opened my mind to the possibility of creating my dreams for all people to experience and enjoy. 

Two years later, I started a blog (that never made its public debut) around the time Iris Bonner, founder and artist behind These Pink Lips, was creating a show in Brooklyn. I emailed her and though she was busy, she kindly agreed to answer some questions as my first feature. This time, I was eager to be in Iris’s world again, to witness her evolution from the last show and to be inspired by the daring scene that would surely satisfy me. I was right. The stories in each room, the pink glowing lights, real “cunt” music and the crowd her work attracts, were all reasons to fall in love with her message. Her expression of feminine power and brave view of who we are, what we could effortlessly be, ignited my passions...ALL OF THEM. Her words and how she displayed her work was an experience and those stories are what I still need to hear, now in 2020. Being authentic, not apologizing for liking what you like, finding your tribe, will keep your art alive and thriving - that is the message I received from Iris’s shows.

She has done BIG things since then, her clothes have appeared on the bodies of some of our favorite celebrities like Cardi B, H.E.R. and Amber Rose. Patricia Fields offered to feature Iris’s unique Barbee boots in her stores. She is an empowered mother and she’s still making noise; inspiring us everyday through her instagram feed and sexually-driven art and apparel that can be found on thesepinklips.com. 

Keep shining Iris! Thank you for reminding me to be my authentic self and not think too seriously about the outcome. You do YOU so well! 

The Interview

1. When did you start drawing/painting and at what point did you become "ThesePinkLips ?" 

“I can’t remember when I started drawing. It’s been forever since I can remember…. kindergarten? I didn’t start painting until college but I hated it then. It wasn’t until I graduated from college 2 years later I started to paint and I loved it because I could paint whatever I wanted.”

2. Why the name “ ThesePinkLips ?”

“My name… well at first I wanted to name it “Pussy” I wanted something different and that was the first thing that came to mind. And it was perfect to me and described my work. Just boom in your face! My friend said “No Iris you can’t do that everyone will be scared of you, that’s not marketable.” We thought about different names and he said “the pink lip” and then I changed it to “Thesepinklips.” I love pink and at the time I wore nothing but pink lipstick! I thought it was perfect because in my head I wasn’t just talking about my pink lipstick. So I had my safe and naughty side. I could be talking about my pink lips on my face or.... down bottom. Most people have no idea until I tell them so in a way I got what I wanted lol.”

3. Has anything discouraging/embarrassing ever happened to you that made you doubt your passion?

“I won’t say anything embarrassing. It takes a lot for me to be embarrassed lol, but sometimes I get discouraged when things aren’t going my way, bad sales, artist block, money, the whole art thing is cool now and trendy, people copying me etc but I just think about everything that I’ve accomplished and think about what if I stopped those times I felt discouraged then none of these things that I am able to do would exist. So I never stop and I use how I’m feeling sometimes in a painting. I always say “paint the pain,” whatever I’m feeling because I don’t ever want to take what I’m doing for granted because it could be gone just like that and I can’t see myself doing anything else so I can’t stop no matter what. It’s what I love and in life with whatever you do it’s not always going to be easy. I’d rather go through bad times with something I love then to have a job I hate and still have to push through those hard times. I've been there before and I’ll do whatever I have to do to never go back! I’m blessed and I won’t take my gift for granted.”

4. How would you describe your art to people? What message are you trying to convey?

“I say my artwork is bold, powerful, strong, provocative, intriguing and in-your-face. It’s uplifting and inspiring for women to be sexy, strong, beautiful, and comfortable with her femininity and power.”

5. I felt your art was rebellious, would you agree? If so, what about your art makes it hard to "swallow?"

“Most people feel that way. But it’s really just me. People may see my artwork and just see a naked woman, but I’m just showing the things that inspire me as a woman or the things I've felt as a woman. It's about empowerment.” 

6. Are you ever afraid that your family/friends will not accept the kind of art you create?

“No…  My mom, dad and sisters enjoy my work. My friends wouldn’t be my friends if they didn’t love or accept me for me. They’ve been to my art shows. That’s one of the things I’m blessed to have a supporting family! My mother always told me to be honest with who I am. She may not like everything I do but she’s always supporting me. She tells me she’s proud of me all the time! And I just think my dad is a free spirit just like me lol. So with the support of them I can never worry about others accepting me.” 

7. When I attended the "It's A Man's World II" there was a room filled with paintings of womyn in nun outfits showing their "goodies," including well-known religious/spiritual figures.  

“My work is about my life and women empowerment, just women coming together (Girl Power) and sometimes we let certain things get in the way of us just embracing one another. There are so many things like ethnicity, race, sexual preference, religion, skin color, weight, where you're from, who you hang with, what you do etc. Those pieces are about that, even though we have all those things that we put on top of us underneath it all, we are women.”

8. Have you received negative feedback for those pieces? What was your response?

“Of course I have lol. I explain to people who want to know why I painted what I did just how I explained it to you. Some people are more accepting of it afterwards and some aren’t. But it's art and I don’t expect everyone to understand it or accept it, and that’s ok. I’m comfortable with it and I know my reason for it and that’s all that matters. A Muslim woman brought my naked Muslim piece. I thought that was really cool. I did those pieces about 3/4 years ago before my first art show and I didn’t release them until this year (2014) because I was afraid of how people would receive me as an artist and I was just coming out. So when I see that people understand me as an artist and those pieces, it makes me happy. It doesn't make me any less happy if they don’t. It's just a good feeling.” 

9. When they write about Iris Bonner in history, you want them to say what?

“I don’t know... I never like answering that question. I want it to be a surprise lol.”

10. When you're creating your art, what is the process? What music do you listen to? Are you a night owl or morning bird? 

“It’s really random. There is no process. I just let everything happen naturally. I don’t even like to sketch before I paint because I don’t want to feel like that’s what the painting has to come out as. I hate feeling restricted. I don’t like it to feel forced or like it’s a job. Most of the time I do create in my room. I’m definitely a night owl. I hate the early mornings.” 

11. Lastly, is it really a "Man's World?"

“Well, I knew I wanted to do a show about women empowerment. And mostly everyone who knows me knows my work is about women in some way. I just got the title from the James Brown song “It’s A Man’s World” but then he says “But it wouldn’t be nothing without a woman or a girl” So I’m not saying it is a man’s world... We all know it's not.”