Irina Cherepanova, a talented master and creator of the "Kingdom of White Nights and Lingonberry Fields", is a guest of The Daily Doll. Irina travels the world with her works and decorates many international exhibitions and festivals of author's dolls. Her dolls are amazing! Magical characters immerse us in a fairy-tale world where each character has its own story. Today Irina will tell us about herself and her work!

"I was born in a small town in the far north of Russia, where I still live today. It is called Severodvinsk, and it is located above the Arctic Circle, in the Arkhangelsk region. I live with my cat Lira....

To become an artist was probably prompted by my desire for something good and magical, my belief in fairy tales. The desire to contribute to the beautiful things in the human world, which can be quite harsh and ruthless, so that this world could become a little better.
In general, I was fond of dolls, as well as fairy tales, since childhood: I played, sewed clothes for factory dolls that were given to me, tried to make dolls myself - from paper, fabric, rags and other improvised materials. I made houses for them out of cardboard, because in our small town there were no doll houses to be found. I dreamed that I would have many, many dolls and a real doll's house, like in the cinema!
You probably remember that the 1990s, and especially the end of them, were a difficult period for most people in our country, and my family is no exception. I had to start working early, and these were not prestigious jobs - both as a cleaner and a worker at a poultry farm. And then in 2001, by chance, I managed to get into the ceramic workshops at the local gymnasium as a moulder of clay products. I was very lucky to have a mentor - the artist of these workshops. He taught me many things related to modelling, sculpture. Here I got my first speciality related to my future business - moulder-ceramist. This job was my first small step towards realising my childhood dream of creating my own dolls.

At first they were clay figures and panels. I fired them in a special kiln that I bought and installed in my parents' flat. With these first works I started to participate in thematic exhibitions, first in my town, then in the regional centre. These souvenirs were bought and taken with me to different parts of our country and even abroad.
My first dolls were born in 2006. Their heads, arms and legs were also made of fired clay and connected with each other with a metal frame. Each doll had its own special hairstyle - made of wax - and an outfit embroidered with braid and beads. The shoes were in true Russian tradition - made of birch bark. In 2008 I learnt about a new material for me - paperclay, and started to use it in making dolls. It is worth noting that it was from that moment that the dolls became sculptural, static.
About education... By 2008, in addition to the previously mentioned speciality of moulder-ceramist, I got higher professional education in "Fine Arts and Drawing" at the regional university, as well as the profession of glass and wood painting artist of the 6th category (I acquired it while working in the glassblowing and woodworking shops of "Severny Reid" plant in Severodvinsk).

A significant event on the way to my dream was participation in the exhibition "Dolls and Music" in Moscow in 2009. Thanks to it I learnt about such a direction as art author's doll, about new - for me, of course - materials, directions, techniques - a huge amount of information to study and apply in my art! For me this event was a breakthrough, a stream of new ideas for further development! There I was also invited and became a member of the international association of doll authors.
When I returned home, I left the factory and opened a creative workshop called "Doll's House", which is still running today. There I share the knowledge and experience I have gained, teaching everyone the art of creating handmade dolls and toys. I feel great satisfaction when I see the joy and genuine interest of both children and adults who come to these classes. And this gives me strength even in difficult moments.
Naturally, I continue to create my own dolls. I am constantly improving my skills, looking for new ideas and sources of inspiration. During this time I have visited more than 300 exhibitions, both Russian and international. In 2010 in Moscow I was trained in porcelain doll making technology by the famous artist-sculptor Dmitry Kurganov. I use different materials in my work - porcelain, paperclay, livingdol and other polymer clays, for dolls' clothes I use wool felting, leather, antique fabrics, lace, semi-precious stones and metal accessories made to order.

For 10 years I have been working on my main and favourite project - "The Kingdom of White Nights and Lingonberry Lands". This is my imaginary magic world inhabited by cute and funny creatures, which I create in the form of my dolls - royalty, derevakus, borisnezhiks... It is with these dolls - the heroes of the project - that I participate in international exhibitions of author's dolls in Belarus, Italy, Spain, Holland, Norway, Belgium, Sweden and other countries. At exhibitions dolls find their admirers and go to live in different parts of the world. Some connoisseurs specifically come to the exhibitions to add new characters to their collections. It is very pleasant and serves as a powerful incentive to continue working and creating new characters.
All the dolls are not just author's dolls, but also characters in a future fairy tale that I hope to write and publish. And maybe even create an animated film based on it. The fairy tale will be about the north: the north of Russia and the north of Norway, about their deep-rooted ties, about the times when there were no borders between these peoples. By the way, the idea for this project was born in Norway, in 2010, at the artists' residence in Vadsø, where I was invited to take part in an exhibition. It was there that the first, main characters of the fairy tale were conceived.

In the meantime... Since the dolls are not just dolls, but characters in a future fairytale story, it takes 9-10 months to create one. Most of this time is taken up by thinking up the character's image, name, character and story. To create animal dolls that populate my fairytale world, I get inspiration from expeditions (as I call them) to different countries, where I observe birds and animals in their natural environment. Again, it was Norway that started these educational journeys. I lived about a month in the town of Vardø, where at the invitation of the administration I held master-classes on making toys for local residents. Not far from this town there is a nature reserve Reinoja. It became the place of my first expedition. On the islands of this reserve live a huge number of sea birds - wonderful and unusual. For example, the Atlantic deadbeat, which has become my favourite, is clumsy and clumsy in appearance. I guess if I hadn't become a puppet artist, I would be an ornithologist. I take great pleasure in watching these birds. But not only them. In February this year I flew to the Dominican Republic to follow the humpback whales that come there from the northern seas for their mating season. To see at arm's length these amazing giants. In general, nature, especially northern nature, is my main source of inspiration. And not only it, but also energy and strength. Energy and strength is also given by the support of my relatives and close like-minded friends. Who, despite the opinions of people who doubt my success, or obvious detractors and mockers, tell me to go on, to do what I do, with the same optimism and faith in success.
And I'm coming. In 2012, I opened the Russian Puppet Manufactory, which creates business gifts, Christmas tree toys and dolls made of cotton wool and potato starch using old Russian technology. All dolls and toys are handmade, made by craftsmen according to my designs and under my own guidance and supervision.

In 2018, I fulfilled another childhood dream - to have many, many dolls! Not only did I gather a collection of dolls and toys from around the world, but I also opened a small doll museum in my city - "Doll Gallery", where this collection is presented. Today it has more than 500 toys, including antique ones. The oldest one is a doll by Schraer Fingergut from Poland, from 1890. Here everyone who is interested in this subject can immerse themselves in the fabulous world of dolls and toys, hear the amazing stories they tell...
And to everyone who has a beautiful and kind dream, I advise you to go to it, to realise it, even if in small steps, even if not quickly, but to go, because everything is possible, and no matter where you were born, whether you are rich or poor, everything will work out! I know this for sure: my childhood hobby has turned into a real life's work!"