CHICKEN- & -ROBOT by Chana De Hoef

‘Chicken and Robot’ is a playful mixed-media artwork inspired by children’s drawings. The piece features a colourful chicken and a robot appearing side by side in a simple, graphic composition brimming with colour, humour and character. The cut-out shapes, hand-drawn lines and collage-like quality lend the image a cheerful, carefree and lively feel.

There is a little story behind this work: One day, the robot asked the chicken: "Waarom doe jij altijd dingen die niemand begrijpt?" The chicken thought for a moment and said: "Omdat sommige wonderen pas verschijnen wanneer je iets probeert zonder te weten hoe het afloopt." The robot had to think long and hard about that. And for the first time in his life, he made a mistake. It turned out to be his finest invention ever.

This work arose from a thought that moves me both as a person and as a teacher: sometimes we live like robots. We get up, do what we have to, tick off lists and, along the way, forget to feel what actually makes us truly happy. But deep down, there’s also a chicken living inside us: a crazy, curious, colourful part of us that wants to try things out, play, feel, dream and sometimes dares to go left whilst everyone else goes right.

For me, this work is about the balance between those two. The robot helps us build, organise and keep going. But the chicken helps us live. She reminds us of playfulness, wonder, imagination and the courage to try something without knowing too much about how it will turn out.

‘Chicken and Robot’ is a cheerful, meaningful piece for children’s bedrooms, play areas, paediatric practices, classrooms or for adults who want to give their inner child a visible place. It brings colour, lightness and humour, whilst also serving as a gentle reminder of how valuable it is not just to function, but also to play, to feel and to continue to look at the world with wonder.