The grid: Welcome to Fliffmellington

Tara Joshi

When artist Paolo Puck had to leave his home, he dreamt up a world of his own

These surreal characters inhabit the imaginary world of British-born artist Paolo Puck. Fliffmellington, as he calls it, came into being in 2016 when, having left the UK with his now-wife for visa reasons, Puck’s longing for home led him to dream up a new realm.

Now, there’s a fantastically rich anthropological archive: accessories, deities (“Cornichon Jon the Gherkin God”), even ice-cream menus, with ongoing work set to involve film, a book of “field notes” and more strangely dazzling faux-historical artefacts.

“It’s somehow very comforting to make these things,” says Puck. “It feels like I’m getting back some treasured belongings and it makes me feel less homesick for a place that, although isn’t real, feels more real with every new piece I can bring back.”