Sunday 31 January 2021

Interview with BlackCherryDolls

Hello everybody! First interview of 2021 is here, so please let me welcome Bella, from BlackCherryDolls! She makes a very unique type of dolls, so I hope you will enjoy this interview. As always, all photos are used with permission, and the interview is available in English and Spanish.

Let´s start!


Hello! Thank you for doing this interview! Will you introduce yourself to the readers?
Hello! My name is Bella, I am the BlackCherry dolls sculptor from Moscow, Russia.
¡Hola! ¡Gracias por hacer esta entrevista! ¿Te presentarías a los lectores?
Hola! Soy Bella, soy la escultora de BlackCherryDolls y vivo en Moscú, Rusia.



How did you find out about BJDs and the doll hobby?
I loved dolls for as long as I can remember, even as a teen. When I first got access to the internet around 2008 the first thing I searched was “jointed dolls”, because I always wanted a pose-able doll. I found photos of BJD and fell in love.
¿Cómo conociste el hobby de las BJDs y las muñecas?
He adorado las muñecas desde que puedo recordar, incluso como una adolescente. Cuando tuve mi primer acceso a internet en 2008, lo primero que busqué fueron “jointed dolls”, porque siempre había querido una que posara muy bien. Encontré fotos de BJDs y me enamoré!



And then, what pushed you to start Black Cherry Dolls? What aesthetic do you pursue?
I worked as a faceup artist for a few years and thought about sculpting my own head for a while. Unfortunately, I never went to art school, but I was drawing every time I had a free minute. I really liked Dollstown and LLT dolls so I wanted my dolls to be in a similar realistic style. Back then there were not many companies with realistic dolls, so I thought I’ll be able to do something new and special. Please don't think I dislike stylized dolls! My goal was not to make portrait dolls like hot toys, for example. Just at some point I started liking really large doll heads less.
Y luego ¿cómo te decidiste a empezar Black Cherry Dolls? ¿Qué estética has querido perseguir?
Trabajé como artista de maquillaje por unos años, y pensé en esculpir mi propia cabecita por un tiempo. Desafortunadamente, nueva fui a una escuela de arte, pero dibujaba a cada momento libre. Me gustaban mucho Dollstown y LLT, así que quería que mis muñecas tuvieran un estilo realista muy semejante. Así que pensé en hacer algo nuevo y especial. ¡Por favor, no piensen que no me gustan las muñecas estilizadas! Mi objetivo no era hacer muñecas para portarretratos tipo los HotToys, por ejemplo. Sólo que en cierto punto, me dejaron de gustar las muñecas cabezonas.



Do you work with pre-orders, or are always open to orders? We mainly work on preorder basis, and different dolls/heads are sold at different times. We mainly announce them through Instagram with reposting to facebook. We also cast extras with the preorders, so the dolls/heads may be in stock in limited quantities as well! We also make special batches for the events. ¿Trabajan con encargos, o siempre están abiertos a pedidos?
Principalmente trabajamos con encargos (pre-orders), y vendemos distintas muñecas o cabezas en cada uno. Principalmente lo anunciamos a través de Instagram y Facebook. También casteamos algunos extras en cada encargo, así que podemos tener algunas cabezas o muñecas en stock en cantidades limitadas. También hacemos algunos especiales para eventos.



Your dolls have a very special look and identity! Especially the bodies -what can you tell us about that? Did you have any specific goals in mind?
As I said, I am trying to stick to realistic proportions. The first full doll I make was Nikky, I really wanted to make a guy that would be round-shouldered, slim, but not gaunt, chiseled but without too many details. I was going for realistic neck diameter and slouched back, which I could not find in other dolls. I gave it my best, but of course it was a mistake to take up such a serious project as the first doll. Should have started with something smaller. :’) It took 3 years to make him – from modelling clay to the first cast.
After him I decided to try and make a slim MSD and made Eirlys. I wanted to make something more familiar, feminine. :’) I decided right away not to make her with wasp waist, huge breasts and super long legs. I cant say what age I was going for exactly, but I guess she turned out to be closest to a teenager.
For the Cookie dolls I was trying to make my interpretation of anime-moe aesthetic and she turned out to be built closer to a child. I really wanted to make something sweet and cute, with small feet and the joints as round as possible. Cookies are my most stylized dolls and making them was a lot of fun.
¡Sus muñecas tienen una apariencia e identidad muy especial! Especialmente los cuerpos. ¿Qué nos pueden decir al respecto? ¿Tienen alguna idea en mente?
Como dije, intentamos satisfacer proporciones realistas. La primera muñeca completa que hice fue Nikky. Realmente quería hacer un muchacho de hombros redondeados, flaco pero no encorvado, marcado pero no con muchos detalles. Iba por un cuello realista y una espalda acorde, que no podía encontrar en otras muñecas. Hice lo mejor que pude, pero por supuesto, fue un error tomar un proyecto así para la primera muñeca. Debería haber empezado con algo más pequeño. Me llevó 3 años hacerlo, desde modelarlo con masilla hasta castearlo por primera vez.
Luego de él, decidí crear y hacer una pequeña MSD, así que hice a Eirlys. Quería hacer algo más familiar y femenino. Directamente, decidí no hacer una cintura de avispa, con pechos grandes y piernas muy largas. No sé por qué edad estaba yendo, pero creo que terminé cercano a una adolescente.
Para las muñecas Cookie, estaba intentando hacer una interpretación de una estética animé-moe, y terminó pareciendo más un niño, algo dulce y adorable, con pequeños pies y articulaciones redondeadas. Cookies son mis muñecas más estilizadas y fue muy divertido hacerlas.



What are your plans for the current line up?
At first, I only planned to make large dolls (SD13 and up), but I think BJD community today prefers smaller dolls, no larger then MSD. It is understandable, larger dolls are harder to handle. I think 1/6 dolls, similar to Barbie and Azone, are the most convenient to play with. But my heart still belongs to large dolls. I have plans for at least 2 large dolls – female and male. Of course the existing lineups will also continue to develop.
¿Qué planes tienes para la línea actual?
Al principio, sólo planeé hacer muñecas grandes (tipo SD13 para arriba), pero creo que la comunidad de BJDs actual prefiere muñecas más chicas, no más grandes que MSD. Es entendible, porque las grandes son más difícil de manejar. Creo que las 1/6, similares a las Barbies y Azone, son las más convenientes para manipular. Pero mi corazón aún le pertenece a las grandes. Tengo planes para al menos dos muñecas grandes -una mujer y un hombre. Por supuesto, las líneas actuales seguirán siendo desarrolladas.


Finally, is there anything more you’ll like to share with us?
We are very happy to be a part of BJD community and to contribute to it! We are planning to continue to create dolls and develop our product lineup further.
Finalmente, ¿hay algo más que les gustaría compartir con nosotros?
Estamos muy felices de ser parte de la comunidad de BJDs y compartir a esto. Planeamos continuar creando muñecas y desarrollar más la línea que ofrecemos.


Thank you for doing the interview!
Thank you for the interview, I hope it was interesting.
¡Gracias por hacer la entrevista!
Gracias por invitarme, espero que haya sido interesante!






And this is all for today! I hope you have enjoyed the interview bt, as always, please do not repost it anywhere else. Let me know if you want to translate it to another language. And if you want to find BlackCherryDolls, you can do so in the following links:

8 comments :

  1. Thank you so much for this interview :) Her dolls are really unique! I saw them first when balljointedwoman got her first, and she would have loved this. The dolls are cute, but they are cute in their own way, still unique and distinctive.

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    1. Happy that you like it! Yes, her dolls are very, very unique!
      I know! I thought about her when doing this interview :)

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  2. Thank you for another great interview! Enjoyed reading it and these dolls are really lovely. Bukkumi "Icecream Candy Budha" is one of my favourites!

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    1. Glad that you like it! I know, the candy one is very pretty :)

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  3. What a wonderful interview! I didn't know that you could speak spanish (well, I haven't been following you for that long). It's very interesting to read about other doll companies and their history.

    Have a lovely week.

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    1. Thanks! Well, Spanish is my first language, that is why I always translate them--to reach a public that not always has content in their own language. Happy that you liked the interview!

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  4. Thank you for this interview, I love Black Cherry Dolls and I have Xiao Yu in oriental copper, she's a beautiful doll.
    xx

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    1. Xiao Yu is lovely!! Glad you liked the interview <3

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