About me

Art has always been in my life – mostly painting. I was in an art studio as a child then graduated with a BA Art Degree in Fine Arts from a university in Russia. When I moved to America I tried different art mediums like felting, illustration, and digital painting, but I felt there was always something missing. My only creative outlet seemed to be painting. The idea of making dolls was with me for a while but I simply did not know where to start.

Suddenly, a few years ago doll making changed the focus of my life as all my skills, fantasies and experience happened to be very handy – sculpture, paintings, theater, literature, felting and fashion. Of course, my favorite creative stage in doll making is painting because it was always my absolute pleasure. And I love that magical moment when a little human starts to stare back at you.

The concept of a, "doll", in culture is complicated and simple at the same time. On one hand it is a child’s toy, and on the other, it represents the history of spiritual and magical values, puppet history, social class representation, etc.

For me, doll making is an art, a self-expression. It’s my view of the world, my fantasies and my experiences in the art shape of a little human.

Yes, a doll is very personal. Despite the fact that dolls connect us to lots of superstitions, for me, the doll remains exclusively an artwork.

Creation of a doll for me is no different from any other creative process. Maybe it is a little more sentimental than other forms of art. The process formulates a personal message – a demonstration of your inner child. It’s very similar to poetry in this sense.