THE LOST VENUS
Official Visual Identity - Traveling Summit Against
Female Genital Mutilation
The Lost Venus, 2019
The Lost Venus is the official visual identity of the ongoing international summit against female genital mutilation, developed in collaboration with SICPRE — the Italian Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery. Conceived as a visual manifesto for human rights and the protection of women's dignity, the work confronts the systemic silencing of gender-based violence and insists on visibility where institutions often prefer abstraction.
The project is supported by SICPRE, ActionAid, UNHCR, and Forward.
Institutional Presence
Since its debut, The Lost Venus has been presented in institutional, academic, and diplomatic contexts, including:
Italian Senate, Rome
Palazzo Isimbardi, Milan — Seat of the Metropolitan City of Milan
UNESCO — International Day of Women and Girls in Science
Italian Embassy, London — Independent presentation (2026)
Koehnline Museum of Art, USA
Università di Napoli Federico II, Padova, and Palermo
The Composition: Reflection and Reality
The Lost Venus is a staged photograph built from a single doll and a system of mirrors. A faceless figure appears to hold hands with others, endlessly multiplied through reflection. In reality, she is alone.
The optical illusion becomes a metaphor for a trauma that is both individual and collective — shared by millions of women and girls worldwide, and rarely spoken aloud. Embedded within the composition is a layered pattern of real instruments used in female genital mutilation. These objects emerge only through sustained observation, mirroring the way such violence is hidden inside the cultural and social structures that permit it.
The image rewards slow looking: what first reads as ornament is, on closer inspection, an inventory of the tools of harm.
Materiality and Symbolism
Printed on ChromaLuxe aluminum, the work utilizes a cold, metallic surface to recall the clinical brutality of the instruments referenced. From a distance, the reflective oval composition subtly evokes the anatomical form of a vulva, reinforcing the symbolic dimension of the image. The aluminum support intensifies the impact: its contemporary, almost sculptural presence transforms the photograph into a permanent, uncompromising witness.
A Living Project
Produced in a limited edition, The Lost Venus is conceived not only as an artwork, but as a tool for advocacy. Each year, a copy of the work is donated to summit speakers in recognition of their commitment to raising awareness and advancing systemic change.
From the artist
"FGM is not simply a physical violence, it is a legacy of female subjugation, written into cultural silence and passed on as tradition. Inspired by the tireless advocacy of Dottoressa Stefania De Fazio, I created The Lost Venus to stand in solidarity with every woman and girl still denied autonomy over her own body. Ending this cruelty requires all of us, regardless of gender, to look, to speak, and to act."
Cristina Burns
For deeper insights, watch the video discussion with Dottoressa Stefania De Fazio, on the symbolism of The Lost Venus and the ongoing work to raise awareness about FGM.
Article on Vanity Fair
University Federico II Naples
Cristina Burns at the Italian Senate
Italian Senate
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