Over the past three decades there has been a shift in the conditions and experiences of childhood. Consumer culture, advances in technology and the huge toy industry have overshadowed the inherent value of imagination. Pre-fabricated, predisposed objects often render the child passive rather than active in their experiences. This leads me in my work to highlight the developmental advantages of makeshift toys and games.

I have combined the readymade with the handmade, allowing for a juxtaposition of objects that can inform each other within the habitat of the real or the playfully imagined.

A growing sense of social paranoia concerning the safety and protection of children has led to increased regulation and monitoring of children’s activities. The establishment of controlled play environments has enabled the government of children’s leisure time. While such measures are undeniably valid, it remains that as a result the space of childhood has become narrower, and more institutionalized under the adult gaze.