From 18th-century anaesthetic to 21st-century party drug, nitrous oxide has long blurred the line between medicine and mischief. By 2022, it was the UK’s second most-used drug among young people—its effects fleeting but potent: euphoria, calm, disconnection. In 2023, its recreational use was outlawed.

The silver canisters used to dispense it—known as whippets—became a common sight on East London streets, glinting like spent ammunition. Designed for whipped cream, repurposed for escape, these objects tell a story of rebellion, ritual, and risk.

1000 Highs is a unique table composed of exactly 1000 of these canisters, gathered from the urban landscape and clinically arranged beneath glass. Part vitrine, part relic, the piece echoes a museum display—preserving the residue of outlaw culture and fleeting highs.

A meditation on youth, memory, and the allure of transgression, 1000 Highs turns disposable ephemera into artefact, and waste into witness.