by Niña Mendoza September 22, 2021 Coraline Inspired Dolls by Young Artist Lhorainne Angeles A box found in the Attic of your heart-Coraline...
September 22, 2021
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| Coraline Inspired Dolls by Young Artist Lhorainne Angeles |
A box found in the Attic of your heart-Coraline Inspired Dolls by Young Artist @Voofuudolls_ph
Introduction
At first look, The Film "Coraline" impressed our childhood comforts with its beautiful stop motion animated children’s story. Clay toys are sculpted into a miniature world that behind the beauty of the whole impression is a "sentimental" and deep value that also fills our adulthood.
The Artist behind Voofuudolls Shop; wherein the name comes from voodoo doll; that means to represent someone's spirit or deity, is a 19-year-old student based in the Philippines, the Idea behind the shop is so you could have a mirror of Coraline's sculpted doll for whomever you wanted it to be reference for.
The Artist realized that she wanted to make her doll based on the movie "Coraline" after scrolling on the Internet and seeing inspiration for the Doll. "I got intrigued and curious in the process of making the doll, because it is -just- made out of clay, I decided to -try- and make my own." Lhoraine Anne Angeles said, owner of Voofuudolls / The Artist.
The whole movie and the Art style of the movie are momentary for her to start working for such art, Then Lhoraine later discovers that this could be a venture for the birth of her business at that time, since they also needed money.
"When I was -in the middle of building this process- I thought to myself why not make a customizable doll that wears the ideal type of clothing my customers want," she said.
She marvels at her way to make a doll for herself first, getting her old clothes, and starts making a dress for her doll. "And after I finished -my first made- doll it surprisingly turned out good!" she said.
She gets excited to share it, so her friend help and encourages her to make a Tiktok account where she premieres the snip video behind the process of her making the first doll, mimicking the making of the actual doll in the movie "Coraline", then she filmed the way she boxed the dolls for an order. Where the box is painted with how it depicts in the movie with a letter, and doll covered in a newspaper. The video reaches a lot of viewers on Tiktok that everyone is asking for the doll and the price, take note that that video is a fake packaging of order to no one, she just wants to show how she does the theme of boxing to give a fitting Idea for introducing her shop.
"I was really happy and kinda nervous since It's my first time," she said. The project came to life with the help of her friend creating the account and because of Tiktok viewers that led to knowing the audience of her shop instantly.
Based on the viewers of the first video and the manifested customers that she truly got, As soon as possible she created a page for her business via Instagram where people continue to reach out for the doll.
In this craft and business, Buyer's stories of why they are getting such dolls are what motivated her to do the craftsmanship nicely. It is the backstory of the craftsmanship that makes the Art more wholesome and meaningful.
"I have this One customer that requested to make a doll for her father who passed away. It was touching that she entrusted me to make a doll for her father," she said.
The customer posted the Final product of the customized doll she ordered for her father, where the doll is wearing a uniform that has the name of her father copying its uniform wardrobe. She also instructs to have her father's birthmark on the forehead of the doll too. It immediately gives an emotional connection to her. The video on Tiktok reaches 170,000 + views.
Watch it here: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSJoNBtfh/
Now it’s her 2nd batch of making the dolls. As usual, she went on Tiktok to post the process of boxing her dolls and it started to blow up that it reached a million views. For now, she only shipped around the Philippines and she said it is still overwhelming and she is thankful for everyone.
"It really really shocked me, people from all around the world started asking for orders, I’m still not ready for that, because I’m anxious for the possibility of the doll breaking when it gets shipped to other countries," she said.
The decision to present such dolls is powered by our idea of someone, in the means of the doll. Giving a representation of somebody's presence, or more from that is also to celebrate our own representation associating such an art piece that is already “Us”.
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| @chi.bautyy on TikTok |
"The process of making the doll starts with forming the body using armature wires, followed by air dry clay to shape the head of the doll, then I paint and do some makeover on the doll before I put the hair and especially the eye buttons then lastly the clothing," she said.
She wanted to make sure the doll's face is close to the image of what her customers want it to look like by the photos they send to her. It was very important for her to create such an depicting image of someone else that represents its soul because it means it is that meaningful for these people, so she is honored to do so.
"I struggle as a first timer in this industry. As soon as I got used to it in the process, it became easier, and I became comfortable. Although I still need some assistance since I work alone." She said,
It is the Artist's first work, she is still a teenager and just graduated from Senior High School. She is the only person who is making the dolls that also consists of sewing the suited clothes that the customer wants. She said that in the meantime she wanted to focus and devote her time to making Coraline-inspired dolls but still, she is also looking forward to progressing in the field of art and innovating her business that is still in regards to this scheme.
Asking about her wish for her career, she said she wished for it to expand more and hopefully she could make different types of sculpted dolls.
Somehow it becomes a medium to cope with the loss of a loved one; like from the customer's story. Adapting the Movie Coraline by Tim Burton, represent something dark, fantasizing, that the plot is kinda too realistic for a perspective of a person growing up, but still a glimpse of childhood at heart, and for kids, it is the current of curiosity passage and the beauty of being playful that locks them to the movie, which made the film memorable.
I think what we are buying from this kind of shop is our feeling that is getting fixed in a way of dolls that represent companionship, a fond memory, and being as uniquely accepting in the eyes of kids as it is. For some customers it is a resolution that is her approach to her grief; It resonates to her buyers because of how the movie is a real classic work of art itself that compels a story leaning to a lesson of hope to change and appreciation of time before it's too late.
Photos and credits: Voofuudolls_ph on Instagram
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