little dolls for my friends

In 2021, on the night before I left for Istanbul, a friend came to see me one more time, even though we had already said goodbye. She brought me a little doll. I was surprised and took her gift with me. Over time, the doll became a protective charm, like the one in the Russian folk tale Vasilisa and Baba Yaga, in which a dying mother leaves her daughter a little doll to help and protect her. I was moving alone to an unfamiliar city, and I liked the thought of having my own little protector.

A few years later, I wanted to make dolls for my friends, who live far away. These little protectors could stay with them in my place. Each doll was made for a particular friend. I chose the fabrics, colors, embroidery, and details with her in mind, trying to express how I see and feel her. But these are not portraits. Their silhouettes loosely resemble Paleolithic Venus figurines and evoke the ancient image of a woman-goddess with the power to create life. I wanted these small, soft beings to carry that feminine strength. They have no faces because they are not toys or characters, but protective charms. Above all, this project is about the bond between women: caring for, supporting, and protecting one another. Years later, I am passing on the gesture I once received from a friend.

For now, the dolls will stay with me. I want them to be seen and travel from exhibition to exhibition. But each already has a name and someone she belongs to. One day, I will give them to my friends, and my part will end there. What happens next will be up to them.