Dreidella | readymade | 20 cm high | 2017
I created The Dreidella in 2017 – an intuitive fusion of two broken parts I had made and set aside. A few weeks later, I came across her again, saw her, and paused to look, to observe – this small figure of a woman has no arms, no legs, no hair, and a distant, detached gaze. I understood then: a dreidel can be profoundly unjoyful. When no one spins it, when there’s no Hanukkah, no celebration – it becomes nothing more than an object lying on its side.
I saw myself in her.
That was then. Today, I am well. Popeyit! From my brokenness I grew, and for every piece I picked up and reassembled – I say thank you.
Since then, I’ve painted her, spoken about her in lectures, and recently returned to her through AI explorations – re-examining the helplessness, dependence, and loneliness I once expressed through toys.
AI animation | 2025
Photo: Ella Faust