Japanese artist Rokudenashiko was arrested after turning her vagina selfie into a 3-D printed "pussy boat" and sending the scans to her supporters from a crowdfunding campaign. Police said that sending the scans (which could be used to 3-D print more vagina selfies) breaks Japan's obscenity laws.

The Guardian reports that the artist, whose real name is Megumi Igarashi, could face up to two years in jail or a fine of about $24,500 if convicted. Rokudenashiko has denied the allegations and questioned why the scans are being called obscene. She explains her vagina-themed art this way: "I wanted to make pussy more casual and pop."

In her crowdfunding campaign pitch, Rokudenashiko offered mock-ups of the boat and this explanation of why she needed a 3-D printer:

I wanted to make pussy more casual and pop. That's how I came to make a pussy lampshade, a remote-controlled pussy car, a pussy accessary, a pussy smartphone case, and so on. ... However, mold by hand has the limitation. ... [It's] not suitable for making large art pieces such as a pussy door, a pussy car, or a pussy boat. I was wondering how I can make it possible, and then I finally found that 3D scanner can make it happen easily!

Rokudenashiko did make the boat, and she's committed to continuing her art. "Pussy has been such a taboo in the Japanese society," she writes. "Penis, on the other hand, has been used in illustrations and signed as a part of pop culture. But pussy has never been so cute."

[Images via The Guardian, Rokudenashiko]