2024
“Stuffiness” is an uncomfortable, heavy feeling that can make you want to escape a space immediately.
Escape from Stuffiness began by exploring different ways of moving air. Through making and testing a rubber blower, bellows, and paper fans, researching the history of ventilation devices, and visiting the Fan Museum, the project gradually developed through a process of learning by making.
Inspired by Heath Robinson’s playful and overly complicated machines, these experiments eventually led to a wearable ventilation device. Activated through repeated body movements, the device creates its own airflow, turning the simple act of getting fresh air into something physical, rhythmic and slightly absurd.
The project was later developed into a story featuring Grandma No.9, a recurring character in my drawings. After experiencing the stuffiness of a crowded London Underground, she decides to invent her own wearable ventilation system, allowing her to carry fresh air wherever she goes.
Escape from Stuffiness looks at the desire to escape discomfort, both physically and emotionally, and imagines a playful way of creating your own sense of relief.