Exploring Hobbies: 'Come As You Really Are' Exhibition

More than 14,000 objects collected, created, or customized by British hobbyists are being showcased together for the first time in a major exhibition exploring the UK's hobbies.

Titled 'Come As You Really Are,' the exhibition is the brainchild of artist Hetain Patel, whose own works include labor-intensive homemade Spider-Man costumes and modified car sculptures. The displayed objects have been loaned by hundreds of people of all ages and backgrounds from across the country, following a nationwide call for submissions from the public.

'I think the thing that surprised me was how many different hobbies there are. You wouldn't think of hundreds, and that's what we were getting,' Patel said at a preview event on Wednesday. 'I think what it says about the UK and its people is that we need to express ourselves,' he added.

Collector items at the exhibition include around 4,000 My Little Pony toys, as well as curated collections of plastic bags, cigarette packs, Warhammer figurines, and typewriters. Among the handcrafted objects on show are cosplayer costumes, clay heads, miniature pottery, nail art, and handmade patchwork quilts.

'It's not about pretending we're all the same. We're all different and we're proud of that,' Patel said. The exhibition, held in Croydon's Grants Building, opens on July 18 and runs through October 20.

(With inputs from agencies.)