A Place for Precious Things

2021

Felt, clay, embroidery

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My anxiety disorder stems from my childhood: as a child, I always had irrational anxiety over catastrophic events, hypothetical events that would fill my mind with anxiety rather than childhood joy. As a result, my childhood was quite traumatic as I always prepared for the worst. From 8-12 years old, I always had a "to-go" box for emergencies, filled with comfort items, toys, and anything I would need in case something bad happened. Boxes to me represent moving, packing, and memories. Inside this particular box, are my most important and meaningful items: this box is a container and intimate portrait of my whole childhood, life, and world through objects, all within the confines of a cardboard space.

 

In this project, I explore the subject of the box as a container for childhood memories and items: these "essential" items from my childhood are collected, and arranged in this box. The irony here is that these items are all miniature, felted or clay versions of the real thing, so they are all essentially useless, but it is the sentimental value that matters here. Size, scale, and model-making were all themes explored materially in creating a small intimate space of childhood care and comfort. Inspired by the diverse inventory of objects in Bourgeois et al.'s "Act Up" (1994), Lucy Sparrow's felt supermarket items, and the therapeutic aspect of art-making and crafting, my project explores the inventory of significant items in my childhood.