TOYS IN THE WOODS (The Colour of Pretend)

“Toys in the Woods (The Colour of Pretend)” was created during the solitude of the COVID lockdown. This black and white photographic series explores the boundary between imagination and isolation. With no human contact allowed, I turned to toys – forgotten figures of play – as stand-ins for connection, curiosity and story. Set against woodland backdrops, these staged scenes become a quiet form of communication, and speak in the language of pretend. Stripped of colour, the images lean into mood and metaphor, inviting viewers to reflect on the ways we adapt, imagine, and find presence in absence.