At Afrodita Dolls, artist Maissa creates, casts and paints her BJDs. She has three highly articulated 1/4 girls, Annie, Prue and Jade currently available for pre-order.
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Q: Could you tell me a little about yourself and also how you developed an interest in dolls.
A: My name is Maissa Miyashiro, I live in Lima Peru. I studied economics and worked many years in my profession but I never felt really satisfied with what I was doing.
Ever since I was a child, my greatest taste was in art. I really liked to make portraits and I did it very well, but I always thought it was just a hobby.
As an adult, when I felt that I had to do something more than my office work, my love for art was reborn. I started sculpting some things at home again as a hobby, but when I met BJDs in 2014 (because I didn’t know anything about them) I fell completely in love with them. For me, they are articulated pieces of art that you can admire and that you can also play with, photograph, dress, comb, make-up… it’s a wonderful world. That’s when I decided to do a BJD. I researched everything I could, practiced a lot, did a lot of tests, invested money in machines until I was happy with my results.
I launched my first BJDs in 2016. They were all hand-sculpted, but now I make my designs in ZBrush. I feel more comfortable sculpting in ZBrush because it demands a lot of talent in drawing, something I love to do.
Currently my pre-order will be closing at the end of May, and by the end of this year, I hope to launch a new doll model.
Q: What was your first doll? Can you tell me more about the dolls you have released previously and just recently?
A: The first doll I released was Pearl, She was sculpted by hand with polymer clay and then cast in resin. Then I studied how to sculpt using the ZBrush software. I was really amazed at all the things you can do with 3d sculpting, it’s amazing, and also it challenges you a lot on drawing skills, something that I really love.
In 2018 I did the second release of my dolls, this time it was made with dolls sculpted with this 3d technology, they were 3d printed, sanded, and then casted again with high-quality polyurethane resin. These dolls are much more realistic than the previous ones and have more joints for better posing.
Q: Where did the name of your company, Afrodita, originate?
A: It was years ago before I released any doll when I was just thinking about this project and studying everything about BJDs. One of those nights I had a dream, that these dolls will be named Afrodita, like the Greek goddess of love and beauty.
Q: Do you cast your own dolls?
A: Yes, I have some machines for it. I use some vacuum degassers for the silicone molds and some pressure chambers for doing the casting. I use a very high-quality polyurethane resin from Germany with UV light protection, it’s a super smooth and strong material.
Q: Do you paint the face-ups?
A: Yes I do.
Q: Do your dolls fit in standard BJD 1/4 clothes?
A: I’m not quite sure, they are 43cm in height but they have a slim body more like fashion dolls.
Q: What wig and eye sizes fit your dolls?
A: The wig is 4 1/2″ and eyes 8mm.
Q: Are you planning on working in smaller or larger sizes?
A: I’m planning to make smaller sizes, maybe 38cm or 40cm.
Q: What would you like to tell your potential customers? Is there something you would like to add?
A: First of all, thanks a lot to all of my dolls’ followers. Their support allows me to continue creating more original pieces and improve and develop my skills.
By the end of the year, I will be showing a new body for my dolls, interchangeable faces, and I will have more choices in terms of clothes, shoes, and accessories.
Please continue to buy original and legit dolls. This is the only income for doll artists.
mai miyash (@afroditadolls) • Instagram photos and videos
I love these dolls, they look so elegant and realistic, gorgeous!
I was so happy when my Prue arrived! She is such an amazing doll, both in the aesthetics and in her joints, I love her!