With this 2016 collection, I set out to examine how young girls begin to form their ideas of beauty—often starting with the dolls they’re given. For many, those early notions are shaped by Barbie and similar mass-produced toys, which emphasize physical appearance over meaning or identity. Historically, dolls have served spiritual and ritual roles across cultures, but over time, their purpose has been commercialized and aestheticized.

This collection reimagines the doll as a symbolic object rather than a beauty ideal. Using found and repurposed materials, I drew inspiration from the way traditional cultures crafted dolls from what was available—embedding stories and values rather than focusing on physical perfection. These dolls are intentionally abstract, their identities left open to interpretation. They are not meant to embody beauty, but rather to challenge how we define it.

The work invites viewers to reconsider the messages dolls carry and the role they play in shaping identity—particularly for young Black girls. It asks: What are we teaching our daughters through the objects we give them? What values are being passed down, and whose standards are being upheld?