The Anatomy of Icons

Anatomy of Innocence brings together four of the most recognizable figures of childhood popular culture: Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse, a female Smurf, and a male Smurf. By exposing the internal anatomy of these familiar characters, I introduce a tension between the imaginary and the physical, between the innocence of the cartoon and the reality of the body. Organs, bones, muscles, and internal structures replace their simplified surfaces, transforming something familiar into something strange and inviting us to look again at images that have become almost invisible through repetition.

The series continues an interest present in my earlier embroidery and sculptural works, in which I dissected and reconfigured toys such as teddy bears. Here, the same impulse moves from the physical toy to the world of popular imagery. By imagining what exists inside characters designed to remain permanently young and untouched by mortality, I explore childhood, memory, and the fragile boundary between innocence and the physical reality of the body.

Technique: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: [same dimensions for each painting]
Year: [year]

Technique: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 30×35cm each
Year: 2012