_edited_edited_edited.png)
Temple of Whimsy
"Temple of Whimsy" by Charlotte Hager
Art Installation (2026) mixed media: latex house paint, repurposed furniture, carpet, disco balls, pool noodles, repurposed fabric, synthetic hair, hot glue, plastic table lining, kids play balls, installation foam, yarn, blankets, helium balloons, hula hoops, and jewelry.
Created by artist Charlotte Hager, this installation is a love letter to the artist’s postpartum self—a time marked by isolation, exhaustion, and the fear that she had lost both her creative voice and sense of self. Slowly constructed during a summer artist residency at the Purple Studio, the work became an opportunity to simply play: to experiment, follow curiosity, make mistakes, and create without attachment to an expected outcome. Part doodle, part playground, the installation celebrates whimsy, discovery, and the sacred permission to make something simply for the joy of making.
The installation is constructed almost entirely from secondhand, found, and repurposed materials, which reflects the artist’s commitment to environmentally sustainable creative practice. Objects with previous lives are gathered, transformed, recombined, and given new possibilities. This material process mirrors the larger impulse behind the work: to recognize that what may appear worn, ordinary, or discarded can still hold beauty, purpose, and potential. The only new material used is the paint for the mural, which serves as a vibrant visual field connecting the disparate elements of the installation.
At its heart, the work is an act of joyful resistance. It acknowledges that life can be messy, difficult, and unpredictable while insisting that joy can exist alongside those experiences. Creativity becomes a form of possibility; play becomes a form of connection; and whimsy becomes a way to imagine something different.
This work is an invitation: play without purpose, create without perfection, and give yourself permission to discover what brings you joy.
Come play at the Temple of Whimsy!
