Obedient Beast #2 (2021), is part of Anna Uddenberg’s Big Baby series. The artist draws inspiration from the hyper-masculine cartoon imagery of gay manga artist Jiraiya and the nouveau baroque furniture designs of Czech creator Bořek Šípek. Uddenberg interprets Jiraiya’s depictions of bearish men as “big, cute babies,” presenting masculinity as equally vulnerable to dependency and shaped by the demands of consumer culture.

Formally abstract and devoid of human subjects, the works incorporate rustic wicker details that could seamlessly ‘pass’ as Šípek’s postmodern furniture. At the same time, they evoke the comforting nostalgia of childhood, reminiscent of the Swedish cultural concept of mys (a feeling of coziness and warmth). Uddenberg deepens her exploration of dependency and infantilization through her use of wooden pacifiers, which symbolize regression.

This evolving body of work materialized further in 2022, culminating in Uddenberg’s solo exhibition FAKE ESTATE at the Schinkel Pavillon in Berlin. Among these sculptures, SUB-D (Inflation) is currently on view at the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich as part of the group exhibition ECCENTRIC Aesthetics of Freedom.