Write your worries, fears, secrets.
The dolls will hold them for you.
Everything will be ok.
Laser cut plywood 8cm and 12cm
“He doesn’t get cuddled as much as he used to.” (Male 46 years)
Miscellaneous used parts
Polyester stuffed toy parts, varying sizes
Miscellaneous wooden parts
Jelutong wood
Varying sizes around 25cm each piece
‘The way he feels has changed, his fur has flattened, I often pick it off.’ (Female 40 years)
Dordolec
‘Warding off the the evil eye’
Head with nose
Calico, micro fibre stuffing
Bronze
12cm x 15cm
He was my best friend, he still makes me feel safe and calm.’ (Female age 25 years)
Blank Head
Calico, micro fibre stuffing
Bronze
13cm x 12cm
Paw
Calico, micro fibre stuffing
Bronze
14cm x 5cm
Series of three
Bronze
‘I always talked to bear if I was angry’ (Male 44 years)
Large Worry Doll
Bronze, 23cm x 20cm
Medium Worry Doll
Bronze, 18cm x 9cm
Small Worry Doll
Bronze, 12cm x 7cm
‘No longer looks like the panda he once was.’ (Male 44 years)
Miscellaneous stuffed parts
Calico, cotton velvet, micro fibre filling
Varying sizes
Emotional Upholstery
People and objects come and go through out our lives. The void that is left behind can be intolerable. Anxiety seeps in, darkness hovers, but something catches your attention out of the corner of your eye. A glimmer that becomes a safety net. A prop waiting for your memory to cloak it with the familiar.
All the objects that I have created are the result of a lengthy process, a metamorphosis. Either the complex intricacies that are required to transform paper and textiles into bronze. The selection, shaping and carving of wood. Layering form, colour and words in screen printing. Pattern making, stitching and stuffing fabric. The collection of personal narratives and the academic research that provides the foundations of a concept, specifically the ‘transitional object’.
The immeasurable qualities of the transitional object are one of the most valuable concepts we have. The embedded amulet and talismanic powers, the ritualistic routine, the emotional dependency span childhood and adulthood. I am continuously intrigued by the ignition of life, that fuels an inanimate object into the mythical world of the ‘real’.