Material Teddy by Makiko Shinoda
Touch, smell, sound, taste and sight, children’s nervous systems are disturbed by heavy exposure to artificial flavors, digital images and plastic surfaces. This contributes to a lack of imagination, communication, and spatial perception. For healthy cognitive development, our senses must be stimulated from a young age. Yet, modern childhoods spent behind computer screens increasingly cause sensory alienation, believes Makiko Shinoda.
Material Teddy to the rescue. Each body part is made from a different, natural material to evoke contrasting sensations. One ear is heavy, the other is light. The head is made of porous so eager fingers can leave their mark over time, while the body is carved from camphor wood smooth to touch, with a pungent, medicinal smell. None of the materials is coated. When the children separate each parts and re-build up, they can interact with the components in their purest form.
Materials: Porcelain, Aluminium, Brass, Vegetable tanned Leather, Cinnamomum camphora wood, Red cedar wood, Oil finished leather, Cotton, Wool.
Photos and words: Makiko Shinoda
