My love for dolls came from my grandmother, Nina. Raised in Ukraine during World War II, she never had dolls of her own - so she became a doll healer instead. She would repair broken dolls, sew them new outfits, and make them look happy and inviting to play with again. Watching her work her magic taught me to see dolls as a form of art.

I love making dolls because this art form gives me complete freedom of self-expression. Dolls are objects for role-play, which naturally engages imagination and opens access to a more personal, inner space.

Throughout my life, I have worked as a journalist, press photographer, wedding beauty artist, art teacher, and even a tattoo artist. I have always enjoyed working with people, especially with women. I have lived in different countries and often felt like a foreigner, yet I have never lost connection to where I come from.

My art reflects my cultural roots, the influences I have absorbed, and the visual stories I have collected along the way. It explores themes of femininity, the archetypal impulses of nature, and a naive, intuitive artistic form.

Most of my dolls are designed to hang on the wall because I believe they deserve to be seen—like photographs, icons, and memories, each holding a story and a presence of its own.

Antonina E