MAIN PROJECT OF THE EXHIBITION “LABYRINTH OF DREAMS” Artist: Iryna Zhmurenko (Ukraine) The main project of this year’s Labyrinth of Dreams exhibition is being created by Ukrainian artist Iryna
Zhmurenko. Her new work is a poetic reflection on the famous story Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, first published 160 years ago. Each figure in the exhibition has been made as
a unique piece, designed especially for this project. It’s as if the well-known characters of the story have stepped out of the book and come to life — given shape, personality, and soul in
elegant porcelain forms. Iryna’s project is more than a sculpture; it’s a piece of visual poetry, where every element is full of symbols, meanings, and gentle hints. Her style is known for its
soft, flowing shapes, allowing viewers to see the story from different sides. She works with a quiet sense of simplicity and great attention to detail. The material she chose — Parian porcelain
from England — matches her calm and thoughtful approach. It’s not just clay; it’s a noble, historic material, full of grace and timeless beauty. Where Iryna’s personal Labyrinth of Dreams will
take us is something we’ll only discover at the exhibition. But one thing is sure: her journey passes through wonder, stillness, and the quiet light of true art.
National Institute of American Doll Artists
https://www.niada.org/
Verhelst Marlaine / NL
Tamara Pivnyuk / UA
Juliet Pelukh / UA
Renata Gołaszewska-Adamczyk / PL
Eva Hodinková / ČR
Ann Hord-Heatherley (USA)
Project “Alice’s Wonderworld”
In 2025, the world is celebrating 160th anniversary of the first publication of Lewis
Carroll’s legendary book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. To mark this milestone, Ukrainian Association for Handmade Arts (UAHA) presents a special art project — “Alice’s
Wonderworld”, featuring the works of Ukraine’s finest handmade artists, inspired by the enchanting story of Alice.
The project presents art dolls, teddies, toys, and other handmade creations that bring to life the characters of the tale:
Alice, the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts, Time, the Caterpillar, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, as well as many other symbolic figures from the fantastic world
of Wonderland.
The artworks are created in a variety of techniques and from diverse materials — textiles, air-dry clay, polymer clay, porcelain, and cotton. Particular emphasis is
placed on attention to detail, characters interpretation, and deep emotional immersion into the magical universe.
The project aims not only to honor a literary legacy, but also to promote contemporary Ukrainian dollmaking and handmade creativity as a form of arts. Through this initiative, we aim to show how a classic story can take on new forms and sounds in the hands of talented artists.
"This time Alice waited patiently until it chose to speak again. In a minute or two the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth and yawned once or twice, and shook itself. Then it got down
off the mushroom, and crawled away in the grass, merely remarking as it went, “One side will make you grow taller, and the other side will make you grow shorter.”
“One side of what? The other side of what?” thought Alice to herself.
“Of the mushroom,” said the Caterpillar, just as if she had asked it aloud; and in another moment it was out of sight.
Alice remained looking thoughtfully at the mushroom for a minute, trying to make out which were the two sides of it; and as it was perfectly round, she found this a very difficult question.
However, at last she stretched her arms round it as far as they would go, and broke off a bit of the edge with each hand." - Lewis Caroll
NIADA est une organisation internationale d'artistes de poupées basée aux États-Unis.
Si vous rêvez de faire partie de cette organisation, visitez le site web : https://www.niada.org/ et n'oubliez
pas de consulter la section sur ce qu'il faut faire pour devenir un artiste NIADA : https://www.niada.org/artistmembership/. Il y aura une possibilité limitée de recevoir une critique d'art de la part d'un membre de NIADA pendant
l'exposition Doll Prague. Si vous êtes intéressé, veuillez contacter Marlaine Verhelst