Dreamer 'Girl'

Dreamer 'Girl' from 'Girl and Dog' 2014 black Biro drawing on found Ceramic Geisha Figurine made in Taiwan

A girl dreams of her pet dog being snatched by dog peddlers. Perhaps her dog has suffered the same fate as the dogs she sees on missing posters? Drawings of eyes inspired by the plaintive eyes of real peddled dogs kept in small cages and sold for slaughter into the Chinese dog meat trade form a pattern over the girl's dress.  These images haunt her dreams. The base of the figurine is used to represent a cage where dogs peer through the bars. Taiwan banned the sale of dog meat in 2001 and whilst the practice still continues illegally, leaving the ‘Made in Taiwan’ label notes the ban introduced by the Taiwanese government. Laid on its side, the folds of the figurine’s clothing resemble a landscape of Chinese mountains. Haunting pairs of dogs eyes climb the gown to meet with pairs of wolves eyes indicating the ancestry of all dog breeds. The mountains also represent tradition being as old as the hills and when challenged the enormity of breaking tradition. This piece explores the moral implications of consuming a being that humans use to enhance their lives, as well as train for front line duties such as bomb detection and rescue services.