“I think the first toy I made was in third year at university. It was a couple of painted polystyrene balls to look like a body and head, and then sculpted hands and feet attached to the body with wire. It wasn’t good,” reflects illustrator, artist and toy maker Ed Cheverton on his first foray into toy building. 

Cheverton’s work is a happy mix of colourful illustration and mixed media collage work, with toy making also now a solid part of his practice. As well as providing the opportunity to work with different materials, Cheverton says it enables him to create new worlds, stories and characters. “I try and keep my work pretty playful, fun and full of joy,” he says of his work as a whole. “I guess this stems from [the fact that] some of the most fun I have in life is making art and I want to show that I enjoy what I’m making.”