Margriet makes reborn dolls: “Online, I often receive hate comments; people don't understand it”
As a child, I already loved painting. I was particularly drawn to portraits of babies and young children. I always felt attracted to the vulnerability and softness that young children radiate. Yet, it wasn't until my twenties that I really took a moment to consider reborn dolls. I had seen them once on YouTube, but then forgot about them, until I had a miscarriage.
I was looking for a keepsake to remember our lost child
After that loss, I felt the need for something tangible. Something that would give a face to the child I lost. Not as a replacement, but as a memory. An image, a keepsake. And then I thought of reborn dolls again. Where others might wear a necklace, frame an ultrasound, or have a memorial bear made, I went looking for a doll. But what I was looking for barely existed: a biracial doll that would resemble the child of me and my husband. So I bought a second-hand white doll and decided: I'll paint over it myself. I dressed her in the baby outfit I used to tell my husband I was pregnant. And it worked. It brought comfort. I posted her online, and to my surprise, others immediately wanted to buy her. So I made a second one. And a third. By now, there are about 26 of them.
Photos via Instagram @margrietsreborns
Creating a reborn: art with patience
Making a reborn doll is not a quick project. It's intensive, precise work and for me, it's extra challenging due to my health. I have FND (Functional Neurological Disorder), a brain disease where I occasionally become paralyzed or faint. My customers are aware of this. Sometimes it takes a month to finish a doll, sometimes three. Each doll receives dozens, sometimes more than a hundred layers of paint. There are tiny veins, milk spots, dry lips, and sometimes baby acne to consider. Every detail contributes to the illusion of life. Then comes the hair, each strand individually rooted with a tiny needle. Days, weeks of work.
Sometimes I create a doll from an existing mold of another artist. Other times I start from scratch, sculpting a little face from clay based on photos, send it to a producer for a mold, after which the doll is cast in vinyl or silicone. That whole process can easily take half a year. But the result is a work of art. A doll that melts in your arms, where you have to support the head. As if it's real.
Photo via Instagram @margrietsreborns
Every child deserves a portrait
I draw my inspiration from the desire to make all children visible. I create reborns of children with dark skin tones, albinism, vitiligo, Down syndrome, or large birthmarks. Children with dwarfism or hemangioma. Children who are still too often missing in the media – or, worse, are portrayed as caricatures. Every child deserves to be seen. Every child is worthy of art. What touches me the most are the stories of the people for whom I create a reborn. Like the girl with vitiligo who said she felt more beautiful because of the doll. Or the woman with generalized anxiety disorder who, after years, dared to take the bus again thanks to the peace her reborn gave her.
Photo via Instagram @margrietsreborns
Handmade artworks
Reborn dolls are not toys. They are handmade works of art, created with love and precision. For me, they are a combination of grief processing, artistic expression, and social representation. They hang in baskets on the wall in my studio, just as someone else might hang a painting on the wall. I've kept 3 for myself, the rest I sell. The word 'doll' almost seems too small for reborns, in my opinion. When you think of a doll, you often think of a toy for children, mass-produced, made to be played with. Reborns are truly handmade works of art by artists, it's 3D art. For me, the reborns are portraits of babies. I always make them from reference photos. I still see myself as a portrait artist, only now my medium is not just paint and canvas, but clay, vinyl, and silicone.
Photo via Instagram @margrietsreborns
Why adults choose reborns
Most people associate reborn dolls with therapy, and they are sometimes used for individuals with PTSD, autism, ADHD, or anxiety disorders. Holding a reborn stimulates the production of the cuddle hormone oxytocin, which has a calming and healing effect. However, what fewer people know is that the majority of my clients are art collectors. People who are touched by the craftsmanship. Reborns are also used in education, by emergency services, or in the film industry. And sometimes as a remembrance of a child that once was. In nursing homes, they help people with dementia. Not because they think they are real babies, but because the act of 'caring for' provides a purpose and peace.
Prejudices and misconceptions
Yet there is a lot of misunderstanding. Online, I regularly receive hateful comments. People think I am mentally ill. They say I would be better off dead, that I cause people to lose their way, that I should be in an asylum. But those judgments stem from ignorance. Most people don't think a reborn is real, just as no one thinks a teddy bear is alive. And if someone uses a doll for support, isn't that just beautiful? Playing, in any form, is healthy. The biggest challenge lies in the stigma. Because unknown makes unloved. That's why I also take my dolls outside. To create content, but also to engage in conversations. And yes, sometimes people first think I'm holding a baby. But as soon as I explain, I see their attitude change. Most people are curious, impressed. And when I explain to someone online who initially responded hatefully, sometimes they apologize. That gives me hope.
Photos via Instagram @margrietsreborns
A weighted blanket in the shape of a doll
Precisely because there are many prejudices about owning reborn dolls, some people have to overcome a certain embarrassment before purchasing one. It forces you to think about what is important to you. And why people have prejudices, and where they come from. And whether you let your happiness depend on someone else's uninformed opinion. If you get through that and embrace your love for art, it already gives a sense of freedom. But the greatest benefit for people is the feeling of 'comfort', of support, calmness, and grounding. When you hold a doll, the brain produces the cuddle hormone oxytocin. This literally makes people feel calmer. Thus, for some people, it can prevent panic attacks, for example. Or holding one helps with grief, or with overstimulation. A weighted blanket in the form of a doll, which also looks cute.
DAISY
Insta: @margrietsreborns
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