DOLLTOPIA
Jada Hairston | 2024 haul Raised in Brooklyn Artist in Residence
March 9 - April 7, 2024
Opening Reception | Saturday, March 9th 6-9 PM
Jada’s dolls know they are dolls and are unhappy about it. This doll existentialism is analogous to religion, fashion, or ethics – we are all dolls in a way, bound by certain constraints. Jada has been making dolls since high school, which evolved into a prolific artistic practice investigating gender, nostalgia, object empathy/worship, folk art, and craft. Her work takes a discerning look at the way these objects have been used throughout history as personified toys and to teach children how to act, dress, look, and perform various roles – a cultural mirror of how society wants us to behave.
Jada’s dolls appear to consider their own reality. Each has a unique set of traits and characteristics – particularly through their facial expressions and the detailed clothing designs unique to each. Dollhouses further build on the worlds that Jada creates. Often based in found materials or partial structures, they are covered in mosaic-style patterns of brightly-colored tiles, transforming these houses into vibrant environments for her dolls to live in. In Jada’s own words:
I like to use found objects in my work because I like the ideas of history being interwoven with the dolls. History as in the idea that these objects have lived lives and have come to conclusions and realizations about themselves as beings. Just like how we wear clothing that is years old, some dolls also wear clothes that I have made 2, 3, or 4 years ago.
The dolls in DOLLTOPIA are complex – they appear forlorn, longing, or contemplative. Many are custom 3D printed part-by-part and assembled using elastic bands. Others are a combination of found dolls and other materials. All clothing is custom made – often using old outfits from previous dolls. The materials Jada uses seem to have a never-ending lifespan, always becoming something new, akin to the cyclical trends of fashion. Their clothing is bright and highly varied in patterns. DOLLTOPIA feels emblematic of the topias we all exist in and the ever-present desire to want for more.
Jada Hairston (2001) is a Brooklyn based artist. She works primarily with clay, fiber materials, found objects, and beads. Her artistic practice is rooted in the exploration of memories, world building, whimsy, and existentialism. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts at The Fashion Institute of Technology in 2023.
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