Scrub Daddy, 2025

Foam boards, acrylic paint, glue, ø 200 cm x 75 cm

Studio17, Stavanger, Norway

Scrub Daddy enlarges and recontextualices the smiling yellow sponge that has become a pop-culture emblem of domestic cleaning. By translating the object into a two-meter foam-board sculpture, the work magnifies its playful design while questioning the cultural narratives embedded in everyday household chores. The title itself – Scrub Daddy – suggests a reversal of familiar domestic expectations, teasing out the gendered assumptions that continue to shape labor in the home. The work invites reflection on who performs the unseen routines of running a household, who is expected to smile through them. Positioned between pop icon and critical inquiry, Scrub Daddy challenges viewers to consider the cultural weight behind the tools of everyday care.

Photos: Helle Navratil