Jan von Holleben creates whimsical scenes of a kid-friendly world with adorable children and props formed from everyday household items. His small, energetic subjects lie on the floor surrounded by objects such as pillows, kitchen utensils, sports equipment and cardboard boxes. The scope of his scenes ranges from simplistic to complex. Some involve two children; others incorporate 20 or more.
One panorama depicts a bustling city street complete with haphazard motorists, a construction site and coffee bar swamped with a stampede of miniature customers. In a science lab scene, children in lab coats conduct experiments and zoom around with jet packs (made of vacuum cleaners). In one corner of an amazingly complicated zoo scene, three green-clad children wearing scuba flippers pose with an array of tennis shoes, tennis rackets, coffee cups and a couple chairs to create a fire-breathing dragon. Although the ingredient list may sound random, with von Holleben’s touch, the combination becomes the recipe for charmingly creative success.
