Anna Abigail Brahms: storytelling dolls
The art of creating author dolls is a unique and exciting field in which talented artists realise their wildest fantasies and creative ideas. One such outstanding artist is Anna Abigail Brahms, whose work has been recognised and admired around the world.
Anna Abigail Brahms was born with an innate affinity for art. She studied art history at the University of Jerusalem, where she gained an in-depth knowledge of cultural heritage and artistic traditions. However, her path to creating author puppets began in puppet theatre, which she joined after graduation.
After spending two years travelling, creating puppets and performing with her troupe, Anna Abigail Brahms gained unique experiences and skills that later became the foundation of her art. During this period she not only honed her skills but also learnt different materials and techniques, which became an important part of her future work.
After the birth of her son, Anna Abigail Brahms decided to leave the theatre and move to Jerusalem. Here she began experimenting with different materials and techniques, creating puppets and marionettes. In 1978, when her daughter was born, Anna Abigail Brahms created her first puppet out of Fimo, a newly developed plastic clay. This puppet was the beginning of her new creative path.
Anna Abigail Brahms' early work quickly attracted the attention of galleries. Shortly after the family moved to Paris, her dolls were purchased by a gallery in Tel Aviv. This success opened the door to the art world for Anna Abigail Brahms and her work began to be purchased by galleries throughout Europe.
In 1981 Anna Abigail Brahms moved to the United States, where her work became even more recognised. Her puppets and marionettes have been exhibited in Chicago and New York, as well as internationally. Anna Abigail Brahms' work has graced the Christmas windows of the famous Tiffany's and Saks shops on Fifth Avenue in New York, and has been exhibited at the Lincoln Center Gallery of Performing Arts, the Museum of the City of New York and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs at the Louvre in Paris.
Anna Abigail Brahms dolls are stunning in their realism and attention to detail. The figures range in height from 12 to 35 inches (30 to 90 cm), allowing for both miniature and larger works. The bodies of the dolls are made of cotton on a metal armature, giving them flexibility and stability.
The heads and limbs of the dolls are created from various materials such as clay, prosculpt, papier-mâché, wood and plaster. These elements are painted with acrylic paint, which gives them a painterly and expressive quality. The dolls' hair is made of goat hair or silk threads and their eyes are made of glass, which makes them even more realistic and lifelike.
Anna Abigail Brahms' work is a unique combination of artistic skill, technical virtuosity and a deep love of art. Her puppets and marionettes are not just toys, but true works of art that delight and inspire. Each Anna Abigail Brahms puppet is the result of painstaking labour, talent and endless dedication.
www.annabrahms.com
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