Irina Schestakowich is a printmaker at Open Studio in Toronto, Canada

Artist’s Statement

‘STILL PLAYING’ We so often forget the essence of real play. It is a thing that keeps us connected to our origins of childhood which is so swiftly erased. ‘Childlike’ is not the same as ‘childish’. It is the essence of who we are. We underestimate the importance of it. It makes you happy. Children play before they can speak and I am determined to never to lose that. For myself it is always a source of inspiration to visit that place of play. It allows my fantasy to take over and create a kind of visual whimsy.