OOPS !!
Inspired by the famously overstuffed Horniman walrus, OOPS invites participants to explore how misunderstandings, guesses, and imperfections can become playful ways of learning about nature, observation, and the human process of making sense of the world. By working with stickers and simplified forms, this activity embraces the limits of world-view interpretation we may all carry.
Collaborators: Alina Tobirama | Euginie | Megan Connie Peng | Mal Sweard | Yashashree Chakole
Role
Experience Designer
Horniman Museums and Gardens, London
Duration
March - June 2026
125th Anniversary event of the museum
Tools
Illustrator, Riso Print
Paper cut outs, workshop design
Process
Mistakes, constraint and paper cut-outs
Visual Language
Inspired by Henri Matisse’s paper cut-outs, created during a period when physical limitations prevented him from painting as before. Simplified shapes become a creative response to constraint.
Activities
Participants work within clear constraints. Circle stickers become the primary drawing tool. By limiting the medium, everyone starts from similar conditions regardless of drawing ability, which encourages interpretation rather than accuracy.
Experience Design
Activities are designed to be completed within 5–10 minutes. Simple, tactile and accessible. Constraints help create engagement rather than restrict it.
The mistake
The Horniman Walrus
Why is the walrus so overstuffed? In the 1880s, the people who preserved it had never seen a real live walrus, only its skin. So they guessed what it should look like.
Activity
Having fun through Stickers
Using only circle stickers to create a walrus picture, visitors work within creative limitations and are encouraged to celebrate imperfection. A colourful infographic vividly illustrates the museum’s famous overstuffed walrus.
Your turn!
Have a go at making the Walrus!
Guess what a walrus looks like, using round stickers only. Drag a sticker to move it.