Kotex highlights menstrual exclusion in art

Kotex is spotlighting the exclusion of menstrual blood from art history through a cultural initiative that restores and re-presents works previously restricted or removed due to period-related stigma.

Developed in partnership with DAVID London and Ogilvy Singapore, the campaign frames the absence as a gap in how art has been recorded and displayed.

Across centuries, artworks featuring blood have often been accepted when they depict violence, while representations of menstruation have frequently been excluded or censored. Kotex argues that this contrast has shaped what is considered acceptable in public viewing spaces, limiting how the human body is represented in cultural institutions.

Campaign challenges censorship in art history

The initiative, titled Art’s Missing Period, brings together artworks spanning ancient and contemporary periods, including pieces dating back as far as 35,000 BCE and works previously removed from exhibition spaces. The campaign presents them as part of a broader effort to question why menstrual representation has been historically excluded from galleries and museums.

Genevieve Gransden, Executive Creative Director, DAVID London: "Visibility shapes culture, and we set out to change both. This is not just a campaign. It is a restoration of voices, narrative and art that deserves to be seen."

Selma Ahmed, Executive Creative Director, DAVID London: "This is not just a campaign. It is a restoration of voices, narrative and art that deserves to be seen."

Documentary explores stigma in cultural institutions

The project extends into film through a documentary directed by Kathryn Everett, with narration by journalist and producer Noor Tagouri. The film examines why depictions of violence are widely accepted in art while menstrual blood has been treated differently, featuring accounts from artists affected by censorship and stigma.

The documentary forms part of a wider effort to document how cultural standards have shaped visibility around menstruation and creative expression.

Public installations bring artworks into urban spaces

The campaign also includes out-of-home placements positioned near major cultural institutions such as the Guggenheim Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum and the Museum of Modern Art. Mobile billboards and street posters present selected works in public spaces to increase visibility outside traditional gallery environments.

QR codes integrated into the installations direct audiences to a virtual gallery showcasing more than 40 pieces of period-related artwork, alongside information about artists and exhibitions. The online collection will remain accessible for one year via a dedicated website.

www.kotex.com

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