Exhibition in PH21 Gallery
Dolling up the lens: Barbie
A curated international photography exhibition
December 14, 2023 – January 6, 2024
Curator Zsolt Bátori, PhD, director
Curator’s choice
Leena Holmström: Apple Tree Doll No. 1
As an adult, I received a baby doll as a gift, and since I didn’t have children, I didn’t know what to do with it. I put the doll in the scanner to get a picture of it. By stretching the limbs and smoothing the face in Photoshop, I made it more adult. Nature has always fascinated me and especially the different forms of trees in different seasons. Because I think it’s fun to play with pictures, I made different outfits for the characters I created from parts of trees. These collage characters reminded me of my childhood Barbie games, but with my own ”clothing creations” that match my values. The female figures reflect feminine strength and self-awareness.