Anastasiya and Sergey Lutsenko, a couple of talented artists from the Russian City of Krasnoyarsk, are famous among doll collectors all around the globe as two of the world’s most meticulous doll makers. They can spend several months on a single piece, but it is this attention to details that makes the final product so impressive.
To say that the Lutsenkos’ dolls look like tiny human beings is not that much of an exaggeration. With their shiny, little eyes, perfectly proportionate faces and carefully painted details like freckles and moles, these dolls that are so realistic they often look like miniature people. To add to the realism, no two dolls are the same. They are all hand-made and hand-painted, plus they are all highly customizable, with the owners being able to change both their clothes and accessories, as well as the natural wigs.
To say that the Lutsenkos’ dolls look like tiny human beings is not that much of an exaggeration. With their shiny, little eyes, perfectly proportionate faces and carefully painted details like freckles and moles, these dolls that are so realistic they often look like miniature people. To add to the realism, no two dolls are the same. They are all hand-made and hand-painted, plus they are all highly customizable, with the owners being able to change both their clothes and accessories, as well as the natural wigs.
Anastasiya and Sergey Lutsenko
are both professional artists, graduates of the Krasnodar Art College
and the Kuban State University of Culture and Arts. However, they never
trained in doll maker, that just sort of happened. During her last year
at university, Anastasiya had started experimenting with jewelry made
from polymer clay and decided to use the material to create a doll for
one of her teachers, as a birthday gift. It took her two weeks, during
which she struggled with many problems, but the process also intrigued
her.
Over the next few years, the artistic duo uncovered all the secrets of articulated, ultra-realistic dolls,
from the right combination of materials – they mostly work with
polyurethane and porcelain – to the right way to bake the dolls and
expertly paint them. They started making dolls in 2011 and they’re still
learning, but their skill has definitely been attracting a lot of
attention from doll collectors.
The Lutsenkos’ dolls sell for tens of thousands of rubles, but the
price tag has never scared away enthusiasts, with collectors in Russia
as well as foreign countries like Germany and the UK willing to pay a
premium for these incredible masterpieces.
Lusenko dolls are some of the most coveted among private collectors, but getting your hands on one is easier said than done, because of how rare they are. That is even more true right now, as Anastasiya is on maternity leave.
