Working with clay, opened a whole new world.....
Hello and welcome to my wonderful world of whimsical fashion!
My name is Fugi Naim. I am a mother of two, living and working in a beautiful secluded village in the Judean Hills on the outskirts of Jerusalem, Israel.
Art is my life and has been for as long as I can remember.
I was always inspired by all kinds of arts and crafts forms, creating and inventing. What has always fascinated me the most were dolls and figurines.
As a child, I spent a lot of time at my grandparent's home. They had all kinds of collectible dolls and art pieces from all over the world situated around the house. My favorite was their collection of dolls, figurines and ornaments which was beautifully organized in a big glass cabinet.
Over the years, I've created a large number of dolls in various styles, shapes and materials. About 3 years ago something wonderful happened; I received a ceramic oven as a gift. The moment I began working with clay, I knew I found my new creative home. A whole new and exciting world was opened to me, allowing my creativity to enter areas it never did before.
At first, I started making flat elements mainly for mosaic, than I began making parts of dolls. Creating a complete doll was only a matter of time...
The first dolls I created were inspired by old dolls I have in my private collection. As time passed, I found rare old dolls which inspired me to bring them back to life in a new form, recreating, inventing, adding my own unique touch and feel to each doll.
The idea behind my work is the use of existing dolls - old vintage dolls that are not being produced anymore today. I choose the doll and make a plaster mold of it, then I pour liquid clay into it. When the mold hardens, I take the doll made of clay from the mold, Then I sculpt and paint the doll, adding details to make it special and different - my own.
My creations, include burning the clay in high temperatures, drawing, painting and glazing. Together, they bring me to a state where I feel safe, complete and very creative.
These days, my Etsy shop allows me to focus on making dolls that are based on the adorable vintage Sun Rubber Co. dolls, a collection close to my heart.
