Makiko Shinoda

Material Teddy

A conceptual toy to stimulate a healthy cognitive development

How can we engage and stimulate our senses in our daily lives ? The landscape of modern society finds us increasingly disconnected from a rich sensory experience. Smells, sounds, colours and textures are standardized, categorized and controlled in urban life; thereby eliminating all the subtle nuances and richness that exist in the nature.

It is necessary to stimulate the senses constantly at an early age in order to develop a healthy nervous system by engaging all the senses: touch, smell, sound, taste and sight. Children’s nervous systems are disturbed by heavy exposure to artificial flavours, digital images and plastic surfaces. This contributes to a lack of imagination, communication, and spatial perception.

I created a sensory experience puzzle for young children to develop the nervous system by stimulating the brain through interaction with sensory inputs.

Material Teddy is made of various untreated natural materials that allow children to play and stimulate their senses to encourage the development of a healthy and balanced cognitive system.

Materials

Porcelain, aluminium, brass, vegetable tanned Leather, oil finish leather, cotton, wool, cinamomum camphora wood, red cedar wood
The Material Teddy is available at Christian Owens gallery in Rotterdam.