Born in Dundee and now living in London, Scottish artist Debbie Lawson uses household materials such as carpet and wood panelling to create sculptures and environments that 'animate' the domestic interior. Taking us on a journey through the domestic landscape, she focuses on the cultural traditions that surround everyday objects – specifically those found in the aspirational home. By pushing the connotations of such furnishings, she lets things run wild and in the process exposes the drama and intensity that is quietly at play beneath the polite surface of everyday life. Over recent years, she has created a number of works in which animals appear to emerge from rugs and carpets and the two on display in The Dreaming House were first shown at Nottingham Castle in 2013 in the exhibition 'Make Believe: Re-imagining History and Landscape'.