Reem AlHashmi
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
My main body of work is figurative, currently employing a series of dolls to convey a certain message or personality.
Dolls and figures have long been used in the arts, where they usually come in full-scale static renditions, with realistic detail to mimic the human figure as closely as possible, to be revered and admired. I prefer to use dolls that are semi-stylized, wherein they are based on the human figure, but miniature in size and straying away from the constraints of producing accurate minute detail. The intentions of my craft
lie elsewhere. At a young age, little girls use their dolls as a vehicle for their emotions, to live through experiences that are too far beyond their reach at the comfort of their imagination. This instinctive behavior, which has never left me, is what urged me to choose dolls as my medium. My dolls are a means for me to express my feelings indirectly, where they are placed in situations and environments based on ones I’d like to explore or live through vicariously, as manifestations of my visions. I reference the theme of personas, alter egos and the subject of masks and vessels. Emotions and experiences that stem from real-life happenings are in turn romanticized and expressed through the dolls’ character or persona. I personify complex emotions, ones where others may shy away from, in hopes that my dolls offer a familiar, friendly face for myself and others.
As such, these dolls can embody anything from whimsical characters to figures from real life. I choose to work with dolls cast in polyurethane resin as it allows for maximum customizability and modification. The freedom of having endless possibilities for expression fuels my creativity. As of yet, my art pieces come as
photographs or sculptural dioramas. I like to keep the true meaning behind the pieces as secretive as possible, and urge the audience to form their own interpretations to deduce a narrative themselves.
I am constantly evolving and exploring various mediums, whilst still incorporating them with my dolls. This allows me to delve into a plethora of techniques such as woodwork, jewelry design, glassblowing, clay miniatures, fabric art etc. which gives my work a unique appeal with every piece.
Flowergirl, 2015
Over the Rainbow, 2019
The Giant Octopus, 2017
