Name: 2020 WLBDA Club Doll with Companion Dolls
Made by and When: Karen Oyekanmi, 2020
Material: Felt, polyfill, paint, synthetic hair fibers, wire (to pose fingers)
Marks: Unmarked
Height: 16 and 5 inches, respectively
Hair, Eyes, Mouth: (Largest doll) Afro-textured black wig handmade by the artist accented with an orange bow, painted black eyes with blue highlights, and dark-red frosty red lip color; (smaller flat dolls) black felt hair, painted facial features with side-glancing eyes and smiling mouths. A sheer royal blue ribbon adorns the smaller girl doll’s hair. The largest doll wears pearl stud earrings in the lobes of her attached felt ears.
Clothes: The largest doll wears an orange floral-print dress, orange panties, and gold sequined Mary Jane shoes. (The doll originally wore silver pumps with a silver bow on the vamp.) The boy wears a blue nautical romper. The smaller girl wears a red dress with iridescent stars applied. The small dolls have painted-on socks and shoes.
Other: In 2020, the WLBDA Facebook group commissioned doll artist, Karen Oyekanmi, to make their annual club doll. The group voted on the face sculpt, hairstyle and texture, the clothing fabric, and other details. The largest doll’s face was inspired by Jare Ijalana from Lagos, Nigeria, who was voted “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World” in 2018. This doll set is 1/25; however, only 24 club members purchased the doll. An extra set of dolls was made by the artist. View some of the other ultra limited-edition 2020 WLBDA Club dolls here.
Gallery
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This doll sports spectacular, sparkling shoes! She is stunningly coifed…a treasured child. Her features are very beautiful; a button nose and full lips. Nature has blessed her with a rich, dark brown complexion. I think about how she may have come to have the light eyes that will distinguish her throughout her life. The little dolls she holds, one light, one dark, smile at each other. In her expression I see an old soul as she appears to look right through us with great seriousness perhaps more than a child should carry. I am sometimes moved to create their stories. I wonder if the artists who create them and others who love dolls, imagine their stories as well.
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I am almost certain that doll artists’ create stories, some more vivid than others, about their doll creations. Your story and description of this doll, to include the dolls she holds so dearly, fit it perfectly. I have a newfound appreciation for Jare, the name I chose for this doll. Thank you for commenting.
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I see…https://people.com/human-interest/nigerian-girl-5-dubbed-most-beautiful-in-the-world/
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Marjorie,
The lovely child at your link was the inspiration for this doll.
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That is why I posted it as I assumed that is why you so named her and thought it might be of interest to others. ☺️
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Marjorie,
That information is in the installation as follows:
Other: In 2020, the WLBDA Facebook group commissioned doll artist, Karen Oyekanmi, to make their annual club doll. The group voted on the face sculpt, hairstyle and texture, the clothing fabric, and other details. The largest doll’s face was inspired by Jare Ijalana from Lagos, Nigeria, who was voted “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World” in 2018. This doll set is 1/25; however, only 24 club members purchased the doll. An extra set of dolls was made by the artist.
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