Book Launch of “Atlas of Queer Anatomy”

The project later went on to win the Professional Winner in the Speculative Design category of the 2023 Core77 Design Awards and was also selected for the Dutch Design Awards in the Design Research category. In 2025, Atlas of Queer Anatomy further received an Honorary Mention in the Artificial Life & Intelligence category of the Prix Ars Electronica.

Encouraged by these recognitions, they continued to develop the project. With support from the Stimuleringsfonds (the Netherlands) and the National Culture and Arts Foundation (Taiwan), they completed three additional chapters. Collaborating with graphic designer Tzu-Yen Chen, they officially published the full book in May 2025 through Limestone Books.

In March 2025, Atlas of Queer Anatomy was invited to be featured in the exhibition Unseen at Rijksmuseum Boerhaave, exploring gender inequality in medicine. To celebrate both the launch of the exhibition and the book, a special book launch event will be held on January 13, 2026 at Rijksmuseum Boerhaave.

We warmly invite everyone to attend. Artist Kuang-Yi Ku and STI specialist Dr. Henry de Vries will share insights into the creative process behind the work, while designer Tzu-Yen Chen will present the conceptual approach to the book’s visual and material design. After their talks, you will have a chance to visit the exhibition "Unseen". It will be a wonderful opportunity to meet and engage in conversation with the creators — we look forward to seeing you there!

Atlas of Queer Anatomy

Artist Kuang-Yi Ku and STI specialist Prof. Dr. Henry de Vries reimagine the human form, dismantling the patriarchal, heteronormative, and Western-centric frameworks of classical anatomy. Atlas of Queer Anatomy raises critical questions about the way bodies are understood and represented, offering fresh perspectives on the diversity and fluidity of human anatomy. What does it mean to visualize the transmission of STIs as an interplay between human bodies and microorganisms? How can intersex anatomies challenge the rigid binaries of traditional medical education? Why are gender-affirming surgeries so absent from anatomy textbooks, and what happens when we redefine “original bodies”? What stories do body odors tell about our symbiotic relationship with invisible ecosystems? And how do sex toys expand the boundaries between the human body and machines?

Kuang-Yi Ku

Kuang-Yi Ku lives and works both in Taiwan and the Netherlands. He is an assistant professor at the Institute of Applied Arts in National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan, and is doing his PhD research at Sheffield Hallam University, the UK. He has graduated with triple master's degrees in social design from Design Academy Eindhoven, dentistry from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, and communication design from Shih Chien University. He is a former dentist, bio-artist, and speculative designer. He also co-founded TW BioArt (Taiwan bio art community) to stimulate the fields of BioArt and Science+Art in Taiwan. His works often deal with the human body, sexuality, interspecies interaction, and medical technology, aiming to investigate the relationships among technology, individuals and the environment.

Henry de Vries

Henry de Vries is dermatologist and Professor of skin infections at the University of Amsterdam. He works at the Academic Medical Centre and Public Health Service (GGD Amsterdam) and is expert at the Dutch Institute for Public Health (RIVM). He is expert in clinical, epidemiological and diagnostic aspects of STI and emerging skin infections. His research topics are: STI in men who have sex with men (MSM), biomadecal and behavioral interventions to curb HIV and STI transmission, gonorrhoea, lymphogranuloma venereum, HPV related anal dysplasia, cutaneous leishmaniasis, and leprosy.