Freya Jobbins is an artist close to Ripley’s heart. She was featured in our book in 2013. Her art is totally unique, and her doll sculptures are a style all her own.
Based in Sydney, Australia, Freya did not get her start as a visual artist. Instead, she tried her hand at police work.
After seeing that that wasn’t for her, she decided to go back to school. With a degree in printmaking and sculpture, Freya was ready to embark on her new life.
She couldn’t have guessed that her original aesthetic would take the world by storm. She takes upcycled and second-hand dolls and uses their body parts to create something new.
Each limb is precisely placed to create a particular effect. In this way, fingers and toes can stand in for hair, or a Ken doll’s chest can double as a cleft chin.
The irony of my plastic works is that I take a material that was created to be touched, and I make it [as] untouchable as an artwork.
Looking at the doll sculptures can be somewhat unsettling, but they’re still captivating. There’s something about the way the limbs seem to grasp portions of the face that suggest each finger is holding the entire thing together. Her artwork might blur the line between creepy and cool, but here at Ripley’s, we think it’s all awesome!
At Ripley’s, we’re always in search of the unbelievable – maybe it’s you! Show us your talents. Tell us a strange story or a weird fact. Share your unbelievable art with us. Maybe even sell us something that could become a part of Ripley’s collection!
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