Small Anxieties

 
 
 

Small Anxieties

Reflecting on my childhood, the memories that often surface involve my sister and me immersed in make-believe play. We would spend hours crafting spontaneous narratives with miniature plastic animals as our actors and wooden blocks as our sets. The outcomes of these stories were fluid, with evolving plotlines and frequent "start-overs." Later, as a parent, I watched my own children engage in similar play. Though the props and environments differed, the purpose remained the same: a risk-free way for children to learn about interacting with the external world and their own inner world.

A few years ago, I came across a vintage, miniature doll that resembled a character from the “Dick and Jane” books of my childhood. Inspired by a previous photographic project, I decided to stage and capture my own narratives using this doll. Staying true to the spirit of children's play, I worked intuitively to see what ideas might emerge. I discovered that themes of childhood fears and anxieties surfaced in some scenarios. I reflected on how, as children, we used make-believe and magical thinking to confront our fears, inventing characters and situations to explore and resolve various anxieties. This concept intrigued me, and I decided to delve deeper.

Some of the images are based on personal experiences, while others are more metaphorical. I don't feel the need to explain my personal insights for each image; instead, I invite viewers to use their imagination to interpret the outcomes. These "small anxieties" are open to interpretation, representing fears we all encounter and aspire to overcome.