The Toys We Carry

Looking at how childhood objects shape our understanding of masculinity. Things like dumbbells, toy trucks, and plastic guns may seem harmless on the surface. But they each carry stories and expectations, quietly teaching us what it means to “be a man.”

The plastic gun stands out. It’s just a toy, but it suggests something more: power, control, aggression. It sits in this strange place between play and indoctrination, an object that feels innocent but also loaded with meaning.

These objects influence the way masculinity is performed and internalized. The toy gun becomes a recurring symbol, part memory, part critique, raising questions about how ideas of strength and dominance are passed down to boys, even in the most casual ways.

I grew up identifying as male, surrounded by these symbols. But I often felt out of step with the world they represented. There was always a sense of distance, of not quite belonging to the version of masculinity they implied.

This work invites you to sit with that tension. To see these toys not just as childhood relics, but as cultural signposts. They may seem playful, but they also carry weight. And by placing them in the context of art, I hope to open up space for reflection. What do these objects really say about who we’re expected to be?

A lit cigarette with ash at the tip, lying on a white surface.
Green plastic toy soldier wearing a helmet, standing on a round base, with hands holding straps of a backpack, set against a plain white background.
Colorful toy dumbbells with yellow, blue, and red parts stacked against a white background.
Stacked packs of pastel-colored paper resembling monopoly money with a black and white play money bill on top.
Blue toy pickup truck model with black accents and white wheels, labeled "Raptor" on the side, positioned on a plain white background.
A pair of black safety glasses with fake black beard attached, made of black synthetic hair.
Close-up of a gold chain necklace with a tightened knot in the middle, displayed on a white background.
Blue transparent plastic toy gun with a red trigger, placed on a plain white background.