Sculptor and doll artist Olena Keidar embarked on her artistic journey just six years ago, yet she quickly garnered international acclaim, including the prestigious World Talent Award. Her works, often described as “manifestos of emotional sensibility,” are held in private collections globally. In this interview, Olena Keidar reveals how her Ukrainian heart guides her creativity, explains her choice of polymer clay, and details the process of "animating" her art objects through emotion, posture, and gesture. The artist also shares her ambitious plans, which include transitioning to working with metal.
Your path as a doll artist began only six years ago with self-study. What was the main reason for such a late, yet rapid, start, and how did you decide to master this complex art independently?
My journey began about six years ago. I saw a very beautiful doll in a gallery in Dnipro. I liked it so much that I wanted to own one. The question wasn’t about buying it; instead, I thought: I can make a doll like this myself. I believe that everything that can be done with hands, I can do. So, I started searching for information online (YouTube, Pinterest) on how it’s done. I bought Fimo — the plastic I started with. Although the first piece was, shall we say, cute, I quickly realized that to achieve a high level, I needed to study anatomy, the skeleton, and the skull. That’s how my path of self-study began.
What major difficulties did you face while mastering polymer clay and sculpture?
The difficulties started immediately, as I had never sculpted before, only in kindergarten. Mastering the new material was challenging: I had to understand how it behaves, how to bend it, add to it, or, conversely, cut it away if something was wrong. It took a lot of time. I realized that I needed to practice more, study the material, and the anatomy of the sculpture. I studied many books and materials on the structure of the human body.
You are originally from Kherson but live in Israel. How do your origin and current place of residence influence your creativity, the images, and the stories you embody?
You know, the question of the influence of my origin and residence is not very relevant. I remained, was, and always will be Ukrainian, and the Ukrainian theme will prevail in my work. Israel is simply my place of residence, but my heart and soul are in Ukraine.
Why did polymer clay become your main material? What does this material allow you to convey that might be inaccessible to other techniques?
After Fimo, I switched to papier-mâché and tried working with it. But that is a very long process: you have to glue, wait for it to dry, then glue again. It took too much time. I tried many different materials and finally settled on Darwi Roc polymer clay. It is very easy to work with, sands beautifully, and crucially, you can correct flaws. These are the qualities that made me choose it for my work.
How is the idea for your doll or art object born? How important is detailing for you, and what element in your work do you consider key to conveying character?
The idea is born from what comes to mind, the doll I would like to create specifically for myself. First, the work must appeal to me, and that’s where I start. I first make the armature and work on the anatomy, but the most important thing is to convey the doll’s character and bring it to life through body posture and facial expression. Sometimes the concept changes in the process because it’s a creative journey, and I believe the doll itself tells me what it would like to be.
Detailing is very important to me because it is the emotion I invest. The character is shown through the facial expression, its gaze, hands, and gestures. I also have thematic works where there is no anatomical component. In those pieces, I put everything that is on my soul, and they can be just figures of people in poses where the hands are meticulously worked out—I really love conveying emotion through the placement of fingers.
Your works are called "manifestos of emotional sensibility." What do you put into this concept, what does emotional sensibility mean to you in art, and how do you convey it through your work?
I don’t even know how I convey emotionality and sensibility in my works because everything I work on (details, idea) just flows; I simply do it, and that’s how it comes out. The most important things for me are the emotion and the concept that I embed in my work. Every new art object or doll must convey a part of my creative thinking, my emotional state, because when I work on a piece, I am in such an emotional uplift that it is certainly transferred to my work, and it’s wonderful that people feel it.
What do you think makes your work unique and attracts collectors from around the world?
My dolls are beautiful, and a doll is a very bright, interesting, and beautiful element of interior decor. I have boudoir dolls, whose arms and legs bend, and they can be posed in any position. I use precious fabrics, lace, rhinestones, jewelry, and style the hair. Essentially, one could say that a doll is a work of art, just like a painting.
You are the recipient of awards from the prestigious World Talent Award Golden Time Talent (2023 and 2025) in London. What do these international victories mean for you and your status in the art community?
My awards at such international exhibitions, like the World Talent Award, recognize my efforts and dedication. This raises my relevance in the art world and creates new opportunities for development. I am very interested in presenting my work at such exhibitions and, of course, communicating with other people who create beautiful art.
You have successfully held solo exhibitions in Israel. How does the Israeli public perceive your art, and what differences do you see between the reception of your works at exhibitions and in private collections?
The Israeli public loves my work, my dolls, and accepts them, so to speak, with a bang. The perception at exhibitions differs from private collections, which introduce intimacy and aesthetics for the owner of the piece they acquired.
Your works are in private collections worldwide (Ukraine, Israel, Italy, USA). What is it like to know that your emotional message resonates in such diverse cultures?
Knowing that my works resonate in different countries and cultures inspires me for further searches, experiments, and my development. This speaks to the universality of the emotions I try to convey, to say with my works what is in my soul.
What are your nearest creative plans? Are there new themes or more ambitious projects that you would like to implement in doll art or sculpture?
I certainly have plans. I have just finished a project I was working on for the Grand Final. I already have an idea and concept for a new piece—it’s a series of dolls. The idea is artificial intelligence plus a human. We’ll see, maybe I will bring it to the exhibition next year. Besides that, I have an idea to master a completely new technique; it won’t be clay. I want to try creating sculptures out of iron. Well, that’s the intention.
What advice can you give to aspiring artists who are mastering art without formal education?
My advice to beginners: you need to study a lot of material and get acquainted with various applied materials, try them out, and find the one that speaks to your soul.
