>>> RESEARCH

Project: Creative Creatures, CRECRE (MFA Project Part-1).
Role: Concept, design, craftsmanship.
Description: In the intermediate stages of my MFA Creative project, I began to explore the language of toys for very young children. I researched the role of toys in social, psychological and educational development in children and designed a series of hand-sewn felt toys called CRECRE (Creative Creatures). These toys are designed to develop shape, form and color recognition in a visual and tactile way for children between the ages of one and three years. These animals reduced to basic shapes, forms and colors introduce the complex idea of abstract recognition and identification. The interior of the toy contains a hard plastic form, which resembles the exterior shape of the toy, stimulating a child to identify hard and soft shapes with touch and grip.

The studies I did for this project were breakthrough in finding my own visual style for making toys. I began reducing actual anatomical drawings of animals and made them increasingly geometric. Using a one-millimeter grid I started simplifying the forms. I expanded the scale of the grid and simplified the forms until I found a good balance between geometric and realistic forms. The initial sketches were then translated onto colored synthetic felt.

Display and sale at Quirk Gallery, Richmond, Virginia (2005-2006)

You can order your own custom made CreCre toy by emailing me at khatri.priya@gmail.com I will ship your animal with love to wherever you are :)