Bedbugs, 2024

fabric, yarn, thread, pearls, buttons, iridescent foil, fabric paint

This idea came to me as I was working on my part time job as a personal assistant for people with disabilities. I was working with a client, who had a bedbug infestation that I discovered while cleaning. It made me think of how we perceive bugs in our everyday lives as pests and unwanted guests, but also how sometimes we just have to accept their existence, especially in different climates or living conditions, where we cannot control them. How something so small also intrudes into our personal space, our place of eating, sleeping, living, in such a way that would scare and disgust most people. I was interested in this duality of fear and acceptance, trying to find a way to convey the comfort of home and the insects that often intrude or live among us. I wanted to make these bugs laying on a bed like soft toys would, like a comfortable item, turned scary due to our own perceptions of comfort and personal space. The materials reflect on the real colours and textures of these bugs, making them feel close enough to the real thing to be recognizable. This work is in the BFA exhibition in The Academy of Fine Arts of Helsinki, shown as pictured above, with a note that invites guests to gently touch the pieces. I’ve also added a lavender based scent to the piece, creating a calming atmosphere, but with the knowledge that lavender is often used to keep pests at bay from homes.