A woman shares the hyper-realistic dolls she creates out of clay and people can't believe they're not real. Vincenzina Care, 27, fro...
A woman shares the hyper-realistic dolls she creates out of clay and people can't believe they're not real.Vincenzina Care, 27, from Toronto, Canada, became interested in toys at the age of seven, when her mother gave her a doll. She was devastated when the doll suddenly broke. To ease her anguish, she decided to create a new one on her own, and the rest is history.
Now, Vincenzina creates dolls with facial differences and health conditions to make them more inclusive. She hand sculpts the dolls from polymer clay using photos of herself as a newborn and pictures of her friends and family to create the toys. She sells them as one-offs or produces them on vinyl so they can be sold around the world.
Her miniature dolls can be made in just a few months, while larger dolls could take up to three years to make, depending on size and condition.
“In I started making dolls with different health conditions because I thought it was important to represent all people in dolls,” Vincenzina says. "Dolls have always been used as a representation of perfection, and I think we are all perfect regardless of how we were born. Some of these dolls are the product of many months of studying a condition and using my creativity to sculpt the qualities that I wanted her to have the doll to ethically make it as universal as possible.
“I like to show expressions that people can relate to in dolls with different conditions and put the personality back into the reality of all conditions that are usually dehumanized because they are different.
"I have made dolls with Down syndrome, dwarfism and craniofacial duplication. My dolls are made to explore and study other conditions, so we can spread awareness."
Vincenzina lost her job during the pandemic, but was able to turn her skill into a full-time career. She also works part time in administration and teaches art to children. She finds the process of making dolls "extremely relaxing" and it was even described as "therapeutic" when she was younger.
Today, she tracks her progress by keeping closets full of her older dolls. He compares his past work with his recent creations to see how his modeling has improved.
The doll maker recently showed off the fruits of her labor on TikTok, and a post showing a doll with craniofacial duplication got over 106 million views.
He commented on the post: "No matter how long we live, every life deserves love and appreciation."
The video, which features a newborn doll with what appears to be two fused heads, has 4.6 million likes and many still can't believe the toy isn't a real baby.
“Who else thought the baby was real to begin with?” one person commented. Another viewer added: "Oh my god... I thought it was a real baby."
Of the reactions, Vincenzina says: "Even though I have made many videos explaining why I make them and that they are dolls, many people think they are real. I have mostly positive comments, but there are some people who are not very supportive.
"I understand that it is very difficult for some to grasp a new perspective when society has portrayed difference in such a bad light for years.
"My family and friends are very supportive of my dolls and my message, as it took me years to show them what my main goal was in making them in the first place. My mother loves to knit and crochet for them , while my father helps me create accessories to display them.
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