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

Farrow & Ball I & II, 2024 and Kitchen roll study, 2024

Cyanotype on acidfree paper, unique, frame, 24 x 30 cm

Cyanotype on acidfree paper, unique, frame, 21 x 29,7 cm

Studio17, Stavanger, Norway

These cyanotypes began with a playful linguistic observation: A Litter of Pigs and a Round Object is the direct translation of “Farrow & Ball,” the high-end paint brand associated with immaculate interiors and aspirational home renovation. Initially, the works were conceived as a comment on the modern family’s pressure to maintain perfectly curated homes. As the exhibition developed, the meaning shifted. The “litter of pigs” evolved into Laundered Objects while the “round object” became Scrub Daddy, reframing the project as a more personal reflection on domestic labour and the everyday items that quietly structure home life. The accompanying Kitchen Roll Study extends this exploration of the mundane. Using a patterned kitchen roll exposed through the cyanotype process, the work highlights another overlooked household object – elevating its textures, designs, and disposability into something both humorous and contemplative.

Photos: Helle Navratil