Purple Forest is the third iteration of this idea—to create a make-believe forest to find where childhood selves go in adulthood and see if it is possible to bring them, or at least their playful attributes, back to the present. This slice of forest protrudes, pokes and reaches out like an invitation to circle around and get close. Materials, even though disguised or transformed, are rooted in childhood and include playground sand and kid’s construction paper. Small objects, all coated in black play sand, sprawl across the ground like toys, game pieces, or seeds. 

For the very first time, a mascot in the likeness of the artist as a kid appears in the forest. The mascot head and suit remain apart and are covered in white fabric—as if to protect them while not in use or as if they are transformed into ghosts. Either way, mascot costumes are hollow. When filled with a body, their motions are awkward, funny, larger than life, and most importantly, child-like.