Listening to music or shopping for new clothes is therapy for some, and while I love those activities as well, they do not give me as much pleasure as comedy does. Comedy has been around for hundreds of years, back to the Ancient Greeks, and there are all types for all ages. In 2012, it is funny radio hosts, podcasts, Youtube videos and even commercials that make me laugh. Comedy brings laughter in a quiet office. If I’ve had a stressful day I know it can be uplifted with an episode of Flight of the Concords or any movie with Will Ferrel. I also believe it brings family and friends closer together. Comedy and humour is good for the immune system, the heart, mental health breathing and blood pressure. It is also an influence in my work; and being a designer try to inject humour in posters and illustrations.

This work pays homage to the actor Charlie Chaplin, a man of many talents who was able to make people laugh without talking and brought entertainment even when there were wars. Of his childhood years spent growing up in London, seven of those were in a workhouse, and because his mother was committed to a mental asylum a few years later he was sent to a charity institution. Not shy to performing in front of people, Charlie worked hard, supporting himself, and never lost sight of being a comic actor – for me, he was the master of comedy. I wanted this work to be simple and recognisable featuring Chaplin’s signature bowler hat and toothbrush moustache; the brain represents the skill at his ability to make audiences laugh and the emotions and benefits that comedy provides.


You can vote for this work to be the People's Choice Award here.