The Boezels are a series of seventeen fuzzy toys designed for mentally challenged children. Sensorial stimulation in a relaxing environment has proven to have beneficial effects, encouraging the learning process and reducing anxiety. The recipients of these toys also participate actively in their creation, as Verdonck has established a workshop in the day care center De Wisselstroom, in the Netherlands. Suitable for all children, these abstract objects leave room for the imagination: they may be transformed into a range of characters that widens with individual interpretation, opening up countless possibilities for narrative.

Gallery label from

Born out of Necessity, March 2, 2012–January 28, 2013.

Manufacturer De Wisselstroom
Medium Mirror foil, cotton, eucalypthus, and roses
Dimensions 14 1/8 x 9 7/8 x 3 1/2" (36 x 25 x 9 cm)
Credit Dorothy Cullman Purchase Fund
Object number 192.2006
Department Architecture & Design

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