Siberian born Vancouver resident Marina Bychkova makes haunting, beautiful and incredibly detailed porcelain dolls with elaborate costumes. They take up to 500 hours to make. She describes her process and thoughts in this interview at Pixelsurgeon.
Your dolls are very darkly erotic; definitely not children’s toys! Is the doll’s sexuality an important part of their attraction for you? The eroticism is definitely a significant element that has to be present in every doll. I suppose that says something about my personally, I’m just not sure what. It was present in all my dolls. I remember when I was, maybe six or so, I saw a picture of a painting of a beautiful naked woman in a magazine. It was explicit. I cut it out and made a doll out of it. One day my grandma discovered it. She was confiscated and destroyed with disdain. I was made feel very ashamed. I grieved for her.
The dolls are more anatomically correct than your average Barbie doll; why was it important to include detailed genitalia?
It’s compulsory. Most of the dolls, both, Fine Art and children’s dolls, though try to imitate human form, are sterilized through a complete removal of sex organs. It’s as if they need to be cleansed of all their sinful humanity. I find this deliberate denial of the essence of life to be ignorant and appalling. I don’t know why there is so much fear and shame associated with human sexuality. Every Barbie needs to have a vagina. Every Ken needs a penis. I think it’s time the dolls leave the realm of tea parties and innocence and address some important issues.
