I first saw Toy Story in New York in 1995, during its opening week. From the very first scene, my jaw dropped — the animation, Randy Newman’s You’ve Got a Friend in Me, the attention to detail, the innovation, and the deeply human storytelling. I realized that Sid, the so-called “bad kid” in the film, is in fact a creative and daring child, shaped by a harsh, survival-driven reality.
Toy Story has stayed with me ever since — from the merchandise and toys I collected before and after my children were born, to our wedding song, to the artworks that emerged from this imaginative universe, transforming toys into a personal language of expression. Woody, Buzz, Potato Head, Slinky, Rex, and the others became more than characters — they became companions, anchors, mirrors, and sources of refuge.
Inspired by the film, I began collecting and reusing broken toys, giving them new life and transforming them into art. Toy Story had a radical impact on my artistic practice: hundreds of thousands of toys became raw material for new connections,
advancing a personal narrative of reducing consumption and promoting reuse. From this process emerged the character Popeyit, recognized by King Features a unit of HERST as an innovative continuation of my work, created entirely from broken toys
My earliest toy-based artworks were created immediately after returning from my studies in New York, using a modest personal collection. Over the years, the works evolved into large-scale installations and exhibitions, culminating in “Toy-ism” (Holon, 2018).
The toys in this series function as vessels for storytelling, memory, and social commentary. They invite reflection on imagination, childhood, creativity, and the human condition. Through this ongoing work, I explore the intersections of play, culture, and materiality, challenging viewers to see everyday objects as carriers of meaning and experience.
Andy Warhol's photo by: Dannis Hopper, 1963
Photos: Eric Sultan, Ran Yehezkel
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