XiaoXin is the creative center of Coral Reef Doll. A talented painter and designer, her work caught the eye of a well-known Chinese BJD company when they spotted it online they hired her to design new products. Eventually, the artist decided to start her own doll company. Now she runs Coral Reef Doll along with a dedicated staff. Coral Reef has released numerous dolls and related products with new projects on-the-way. With the help of BJDivas, I connected with XiaoXin and she graciously agreed to an interview.
~~~~~
Q: First question, can you tell me a little about yourself and how you became a doll maker?
A: I am 26 years old, and I have been engaged in doll creation for 5 years. I have liked BJD dolls since I was a child. I saw the dolls in magazines and thought they were very delicate. I bought the first BJD doll in my life when I was 18 years old. I usually draw some The design draft was posted on the website. One day (a well-known Chinese company) contacted me and wanted to cooperate with me. During the cooperation process, they wanted me to work in the company. Then I designed dolls in the company for three years and designed many dolls. Later, I felt that the company limited the use of personal creativity, and had to change some designs of dolls. I had to give up many designs of dolls that I liked very much. In desperation, I chose my own Independence in 2020 doing free design. In 2021, I recruited a group of partners who supported me. After more than a year of preparation, I finally released the first and second mantis girls, Opal and Amber, in April 2022. So far, I have really felt the joy of creating dolls without restraint, and there are a group of partners who work together to create together.
Q: Why did you choose the name Coral Reef for your company?
A: Chinese coral reef, means that we hope that coral reefs can serve as a platform to provide services and protection for more creators, and like creating a good environment for fish and other creatures living in coral reefs. I hope BJD dolls can be better and better, and creators are free to be themselves and make dolls they want to make with enthusiasm, that will definitely be loved by everyone. This is a kind of spirit passed on by coral reefs.
Q: So how many people are also part of Corral Reef? What jobs do they perform?
A: Our team now has 7 colleagues.
The first one, pm, born in 1999, is a college student majoring in fine arts who just graduated last year. We got in touch with her by chance. We appreciate her very much and invited her to join the design team. She has been working for more than half a year now, and has designed two dolls and completed them. There are many new shapes of the dolls I made, cheerful and enthusiastic, and more dolls belonging to her will be born in the future.
The second person, Jeff, who is in charge of making some dolls and accessories in the studio, was born in 2000. He has made a lot of doll accessories from last year to this year. He also made Mecha Ji ONE and has progressed very fast.
The third, NingSan, who made the samples, has very rich work experience. She can cooperate with us to design clothes of various difficulties. At the same time, she is also a voice actress and dubbing worker.
The fourth place, model repairer Cola, is responsible for making the sculpted samples into very delicate molds. Each one produced can reach the standard and exquisiteness. He is very smart and can solve many mechanical structure problems.
The fifth place, the colleague If who runs and packs the daily work, is responsible for all other work, and is our male mother!
The sixth is my partner Xiao Xin, who is also the nominal boss of the studio and is responsible for the management of the studio.
The atmosphere in the studio is very good. Everyone works happily, rests when tired, and comes to work when they want to work. It is very free.
In September 2022, in order to ensure the quality of the order, we opened a small BJD production factory to facilitate proofing and quality supervision. There are currently six masters.
Q: Where do you find inspiration for your dolls?
A: Regarding my inspiration, I have loved drawing since I was a child. Designing dolls is a feeling of happiness and satisfaction. The birth of each new doll is like giving birth to a child. She is born! A lot of inspiration pops up in my brain from time to time, and I will quickly draw the inspiration. The doll design draft I have drawn and prepared has been scheduled for next year.
Q: Do all of your dolls start with drawings? Was it hard to take your drawings and convert them to a 3-dimensional doll?
A: All dolls start with paintings. It is really difficult to convert paintings into 3D dolls, and it takes a long time.
Q: Do you design by hand-sculpting, computer design, or a mix of the two?
A: Most of my designs are designed by computer, and a small part of the body is hand-carved, but after being hand-carved, it will still be scanned into the computer for final debugging. The computer is so convenient and fast, and it can also be fully hand-carved on the computer.
Q: Most of your current dolls are around 1/4 scale. Is this your preferred size to work in? Are you planning more small doll sizes or maybe some larger dolls in the future?
A: My doll size is mainly 1/4 size at present, there are also 1/6 sizes, and there will be larger 1/3 sizes in the future. I like all sizes, and I am in preparation. It is just the time for the body of each size to be made. It’s too long, and I haven’t been doing it for a long time, and I haven’t had time to make many, many sizes.
Q: When will you release your next doll project?
A: We expect to have a new sister soon.
Q: Is there anything I didn’t ask? Is there anything else you would like to add?
A: It was really difficult to open a new studio during the epidemic, but we held on no matter how difficult it was. I hope that more designers will join in the future, and more and more eye-catching works will be shown to everyone. Come on!
~~~~~
Company Website: Coral Reef Doll
Dolls by the company may also be ordered internationally through authorized retailers including Alice’s Collections, BJDivas, and Dolk (Dolk Station).
Dolls and Products:
Drawings and paintings:
