Artist Statement
Ladies and gentlemen,
thank you for the opportunity to present my artistic dolls to your attention.
Dolls are a wonderful miracle for me! For me, dolls are love, inspiration, meaning of life and profession. Love for my creations and for the people for whom I create these dolls and with whom I can share my sincere passion for dolls! My work is based on a positive and life-affirming philosophy. The most important thing for me is that the art of art dolls should not disappear into oblivion. That is why, in addition to dolls, I created a series of exhibitions called “Puppet Miracle” and present this project once a year. This way I popularize the art of artistic dolls. Today, time is changing so fast, the doll always exists at the intersection of space and time, on the border of the living and the inanimate, the possible and the impossible.
The purpose of my work is to express my love for the world, the beauty of our world through the image of a doll, to fill this world with light, and to make it better and kinder. I believe that this is possible with the help of a doll!

Education
• 2003 Graduated from Mykhailo Boychuk Kyiv State Institute of Decorative and Applied Arts and Design (Kyiv, Ukraina).

Artist membership questionnaire

Do you have any doll-related work experiences?
Yes.
• 2004-2005 began to create dolls.
• 2012-2016 Art manager of the “Parsuna” gallery (Kyiv, Ukraina).
Teacher of the “School of Puppet Mastery” of the “Parsuna” gallery (Kyiv, Ukraina).
• 2017 Curator of the exhibition project of art dolls “Puppet wonder” (Kyiv, Ukraina).
Have you exhibited your dolls?
Full list of exhibitions at the link: lyalka.com.ua/pro-avtora.
Have your dolls been published in any books or magazines?
Yes. Catalogs of doll exhibitions: Kyiv, Riga, Praga. Master class book “Felt Dolls”. Periodicals, newspapers: “Evening Kyiv”, “Kyiv Today”. Postcards.
Have you won any doll-related awards?
Member of the jury of the Fashion Doll and Handmade Expo exhibitions. I have no international awards.
How long have you been creating dolls?
2004-2005 began to create dolls.
How did you get started in dollmaking?
Dolls have always been a part of my life. I used to sew dolls with my mom. Then I made dolls with my daughter. One day I came to the Parsuna doll gallery in Kyiv and realized that I couldn’t live without dolls.) It was like a blow, like falling in love!
That’s how I started my creative search.
My first dolls were made of textiles. Then I tried La Doll samples, and baking plastics, papier mache. Each of my dolls is unique. I was looking for a means of expression for a long time, how to create something new and unusual! And I came to the conclusion that color is the right thing! That’s why the faces of my dolls are mostly bright, I use color to convey emotions! Today I am creating dolls, as it is the first time! Every time I look for how to blow away and conquer the heart of the viewer!
List any art, dollmaking, or collecting organizations to which you belong.
• 2019 is a valid member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine. card number №6990 Validity period: 31.12.2029
• 2022 is a valid member of Artists of Portugal card number №124123 Validity period: 04.06.2029 Recognized types of activities: Puppet art.
In what medium do you work?
I work in my own studio. I work on my dolls by myself.
If you work in reproductive media, do you make your own molds?
I don’t work. Each of my dolls is unique in a single copy.
What type of paint do you use? Do you have a preferred painting technique?
My favorite paint is oil paint. Because this paint has been used for many years and we can see how the paint behaves over time. I believe that this is the best coating for dolls, which can guarantee a beautiful bright look for many years.
Do you make your own wigs? Please describe your process?
My dolls are mostly stylized. I do not make classic wigs, although I know how to make them. I replace the hair with scraps of fabric and thread. I weave braids out of fabric, sew, and embroider. That is, I create an “image” of a wig. An ordinary wig is not suitable for a stylized doll.
Do you make your own accessories? Please describe your process.
I am a textile artist by profession. That’s why it is my greatest joy to make accessories for dolls. I use natural fabrics from which I can create anything. I decorate with embroidery and beads. There is a lot of embroidery in my works, I also use crochet. If I don’t have the right color of fabric, I dye the fabric myself. I use the technique of cold batik or hot dyeing.
Do you make your own clothing? Please detail any help you may have in pattern drafting or construction of clothing.
I sew my own clothes. My dolls do not take off their clothes. Everything is fixed forever. I make my own patterns and drawings. I dress the doll according to the image I want to create. I don’t make ordinary clothes, it’s more like a “dream or fantasy”. The color and shape of the clothes enhance the impression of the doll’s image. For me, the integrity of the image is more important than the correct cut of the dress. I use the principle of a theater costume. The viewer should be impressed and surprised! The viewer should not understand how and from what it was created)
Do you have assistants? What do they contribute to your work?
No
Have you designed dolls, toys or other work for commercial manufacture?
No
How do you sell your dolls? (wholesale, retail, consignment, commissioned work)?
Mostly at exhibitions and online.
Do you advertise? (if so, where)
Sometimes I advertise on Facebook and Instagram, and I have my own website.
Why do you want to be a member of NIADA?
I have been thinking about this question for many years. And I applied when I realized exactly why!
1. It is difficult to find like-minded people in our time. Artists who create dolls are “diamonds” that are scattered all over the world! And NIADA is the crown in which these diamonds are collected! It is a family of people who speak different languages, talk about dolls and understand each other. I dream of becoming a part of this family for communication and exchange of experience.
2. Today, such a form of fine art as a doll – a doll made by “living real artists” for people – is a miracle and a rarity! Today, progress is unstoppable, and artificial intelligence is rapidly mastering new professions, and machines are printing anything at super-fast speed. It is difficult for an “art doll” to survive and compete with new technologies. But there is no need for competition because they are different worlds. That’s why I want to become a member of NIADA to popularize and develop the art of artistic puppetry.
3. NIADA is the people who created the organization, who have already written their names in the history of art dolls. NIADA are artists who work today!

For me, as an artist who creates dolls and this is my profession, it is important to join NIADA for the future and development!