21 Shelters (46 Amazon boxes), 2020

21 shelters (46 Amazon boxes) is a sculptural installation that is inspired by the concept of a model city or habitat, an idealized place that embodies certain qualities such as collectivism, sustainability and hope. It consists of a series of 21 sculptures that are situated on a series of cardboard box plinths, all of which are constructed from Amazon boxes in various material states. I chose this material for a number of reasons; primarily because the boxes are so readily available, but also because they tell many stories about how we live now: our complacencies and dependencies, the corporate forces that shape our domestic lives, the epic waste that surround us. I wanted to experiment with how far the transformation of the material could go, and how many different ways I could undo/remake the Amazon box as a means to recapture/recirculate some of the dead resources it represents.

This transformation occurred not only in a physical way, but through less tangible means that involved exchange and collaboration with friends and neighbours. I enlisted them to help me in some of the more labour-intensive parts of the making process; in exchange, I offered other forms of labour, such as bread baking and childcare, which became an exercise in connection and cooperation during the height of the pandemic. I found myself thinking about these loved ones when making the objects; I felt at times like I was making talismans for them that could ward off evil and sadness - totemic objects infused with the power to protect and shelter loved ones during this difficult time.