The cycle of life and death plays an important role in Emma Talbot’s work. She is fascinated by the fact that our own births and deaths are hugely significant, yet mysterious events – because hardly anyone can remember or recount the experience. These two works featuring vulvas depict birth and the cycle of life. The text balloons in Birth are like incantatory spells, but because they follow each other in a loop, they can also be considered a life cycle.[text 2025]