Dolls

Long, long ago, when Adam was a boy,

the Internet had yet to be invented and I was just

a small girl, I was given a doll called Lobelia.

An appropriate name for a doll straight out of a

horror film.  She had been passed around the family

for a couple of generations before I drew the short

straw and she came briefly into my possession.

Z

Not the real Lobelia but close enough to send shivers.

She really freaked me out, I was a "teddy" girl through

and through.  This abomination had moving eyes, rosebud

lips and a wig of real human hair made by my grandfather

who was not only a West End "coiffeur des dames" but also

dabbled in the dark art of the handmade "peruke" as a very

lucrative sideline.  Just don't ever ask where he got

the hair!

I took an instant disliking to Lobelia.  She was hard and

unyielding, her arms and legs stuck into my chubby infant

flesh and her eyes seemed to follow my every move.

She instilled terror and was thankfully taken away from me

the day I picked up the scissors and decided to give her a

"Tony Curtis".  A fashionable cut back in the day.

Guy (Michael Zajkov) and Dolls

The years rolled by and I had all but forgotten the porcelaine-

headed monster that used to haunt my childhood dreams

- that is until today because today I stumbled upon the work

of Russian craftsman Michael Zajkov!

After graduating from Kuban State University in 2009 Michael

chose to work as a pupeteer with a theatre group until he went

on to hit the big time in 2013 with an exhibition entitled

Art Dolls in Moscow.  Michael is very easy on the eye btw!

They look quite a handfull.

His dolls are so real you almost expect them to blink.  They're

multiple jointed and made from polymer clay with hand painted

eyes from Germany and French mohair tresses.  Guaranteed to

fascinate, unnerve, repel and horrify all at one and the same time.

How spooky are these?

Come back Lobelia, all is forgiven.

Just please don't ever leave me alone with one of

Michael's spooky humanoids.  Promise?

That's one way to put on your mascara I suppose.