Series of 49 wooden totems and a book

’Totem 49’ is a project consisting of a series of 49 hand-painted totems made of recycled wood, inspired by ancestral sculptures and religious fetishes. The project was conceived after I visited the Musée Guimet in Paris, and was impressed by the multitude of gods from oriental religions and the complex and obscure symbolism of their representations.

I have always been fascinated by outsider Art and was drawn to the idea working with a form that I could only understand as an outsider. Knowing little about the motivations of the creators of the works that inspired me, I have adapted their form to examine contemporary culture.

My totems attempt to make solid, timeless objects from fleeting events of the 21st century, allowing for reflection on the colossal power of the image and the role of the new tribes and mythology in an increasingly secular society.

Project exhibited in 2009 in London, Berlin, Tokyo. In 2011, part of the touring exhibition Graphic Detour at the Museum of the Image

Client: Self commissioned
Type: Exhibition
Technique: Hand painted recycled wood, glue, dimensions varied, roughly 42 x 20 cm
Year: 2009

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