It’s a girl.

Kefan Lyu

Advisor: Theo Ellin Ballew

It’s a Girl is an interactive installation that exposes the cultural bias behind gender-selective abortion, inviting viewers to confront how a simple phrase can carry the weight of loss, silence, and systemic devaluation of female life.

Project Website Presentation
A close-up of a hand gently pressing on a soft, skin-toned silicone surface surrounded by wool fibers and sculpted baby head

Project Description

What comes to mind when you hear the words, “It’s a girl”?

For many people, it's a phrase tied to joy, hope, and celebration. But in some parts of the world, especially across Asia, those same words carry a very different weight: disappointment, rejection, and even the decision to end a pregnancy.

It’s a Girl is an intimate reflection on the quiet tragedies behind gender-selective abortion. Through soft textures and symbolic forms, the installation invites viewers to confront the discomfort beneath a simple phrase — “It’s a girl.”

Inspired by real stories, this work explores how cultural values and expectations shape the fate of unborn daughters. It asks not whether life should begin, but whose life is allowed to.

Technical Details

Materials: Silicone, acrylic sheet, wool, sculpted forms, wristbands
Technology: Arduino-controlled air pump system, touch interaction, QR code-linked web content
Dimensions: 12*24*6in