Jin Lee

South Korea, 1990

Anyone’s anything

Can a sex toy be a toy?

 

Anyone’s Anything is a playground where we can play with ways of seeing in the context of social taboos. This project is conceived from a linguistic misunderstanding of the word ‘sex toy’, which combines the seeming contradiction between the adult world and children activities. From the perspective of a non-native English speaker, these words are very separate—so how can these two words coexist?

 

In fact, sex toys have all the right requirements to act as toys. Their shapes, colors, materials, safety, and even the vibrations themselves. However, we feel embarrassed and morally guilty when sex toys are found by children. They remain hidden in corners of secret drawers. We take for granted that these objects will be interpreted as sex objects because we take our ways of seeing for granted. Through a child’s eyes, the objects gain a sense of innocence and playfulness. Anyone’s Anything questions the contradiction between these perspectives. How often do we blindly rely on given interpretations of the things around us? Playing with ways of seeing can allow you to imagine the world around you freely.