Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art presents an exhibition by Alexandra Khudyakova whose refined sculpture-like dolls epitomise the dream of perfection
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Dolls as art objects reflecting their creator’s philosophical ideas and personal experiences
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Whiteness of porcelain, flamboyant outfits, retrofuturism, and steampunk: imagery inspired by myths, literature, and history
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A chance to meet one’s inner girl child, whether dressed to the nines or casual, contemplative or playful, strong or apprehensive
The doll is one of the earliest inventions of mankind. Dating back to the emergence of prehistoric art, initially it served sacral and ritual purposes. It would not be stretch to claim that dolls have been accompanying us since the times we had started to reflect on our own humanness, from the clay figurines that the Ancient Egyptians put into tombs, through the mass-produced plastic fashionistas, and all the way to anthropomorphic robots with AI core.
The contemporary art doll, a form of creative expression rather than a toy, is a relatively recent phenomenon that evolved around the turn of the 20th century. Such dolls usually reference mythological and literary narratives or historical eras. The exhibition features works from different years and series, including retrofuturistic and steampunk-inspired creations of metal-coated Flumo casting slip and pure white ones that sidestep the conventions of the art doll genre, gravitating towards sculpture.
‘The dolls are as animate as we make them to be. I don’t think there’s any mystical element to it,’ comments Alexandra Khudyakova. However, the faces of her dolls are far from artificiality. For all their idealised beauty, they have none of the uncanny sensuality, projecting instead a neutral mood of a good portrait in which the painter successfully captured the model’s personality reflected in the countenance.
The artist’s meticulous process comprises multiple stages. First, she conceives her character and casts its parts in plaster moulds with air-dry Flumo slip, then sands them, assembles the doll, paints its face, and finally sews its outfit and creates the shoes and wig. Her pieces reward unhurried contemplation: they comprise countless details, each with its own symbolism.
‘People who make dolls and love dolls find joy in breathing life into their sensibilities and dreams through play,’ believes the artist. The doll keeps evolving along with the human civilisation, embodying mankind’s eternal yearning for a perfect form encapsulating inner beauty.
Alexandra Khudyakova was born in 1970 in Moscow where she still lives and works. In 1993, she graduated from the Design Department of the Sergey Stroganov Higher School of Design and Applied Arts, and in 2011, from the Fine Arts Department of the Moscow State University. In 2017, Alexandra was elected Full Member of the Russian Academy of Arts by its Decorative Arts Chapter. Creating art dolls since 1992, the artist frequently exhibits them in group and solo shows.
