Clakku: Between Skins

Clakku: Between Skins is a sculptural art toy that translates the tension between instinct and social adaptation into a visible body. It begins with a familiar experience: we may know who we are, yet still adjust how we present ourselves in different environments in response to expectations, rules, and other people.

The name Clakku is derived from “click-clack,” the sound of bones knocking together, connecting the character directly to its exposed inner skeleton. Based on a domesticated beagle, Clakku uses the animal’s sociability and adaptability as part of its character logic. The exposed skeleton represents the instinctive self, while the outer layer reflects the behaviors and roles gradually shaped through social experience.

Clakku does not reject what exists underneath. Its pink resin shell remains translucent, allowing the silver skeleton to stay visible. The outer layer therefore does not erase the inner self; it changes how much of it can be seen and how it is presented to the outside world.

The sculpture combines 3D-printed translucent resin, silver electroplated skeletal components, and white ceramic eye elements. Two material versions were developed: one with glossy transparent resin and reflective electroplating, and a later version with a frosted translucent shell and matte metallic skeleton. In both, the internal structure remains visible.

Rather than treating the instinctive self and socially adapted self as opposites, Between Skins presents them as parts of the same individual. Through character, material, and visibility, the work creates a point of emotional recognition for the experience of adapting to the outside world while preserving a sense of self.