Cassia Robini Pimenta

Interview by

MacPherson Arts & Crafts

1. Where are you from and where do you live now?
I was born in count -Mg Brazil, I currently live in belo horizonte -Mg - Brazil

2. Have you ever been interested in dolls?
I have always been interested in dolls since I was young, I lived with dolls on my arm, where I would take them, especially baby dolls.

3. When did you first become interested in sculpting?
I became interested in sculpture from the moment I started to notice the kits I received to work, many details bothered me, and then I tried to make my own.

4. How do you first date reborn dolls?
I first met reborn in 2006 on a tv show, did a lot of research, where it came from, and after years, did my first course.

5. Have you carved dolls from the moment you started sculpting, or did you start with something else?
My first attempt at sculpting was a clay baby leg, then I tried to pilimer a mini head, then I made a 10 "full body baby, but as I didn't know anything, I burned it in the oven lol.

6. How long have you been sculpting?
Today I'm about 3 or 4 years old, I'm not sure, but as I work with reborn too, I don't have much time left to make many sculptures, I currently have 3 full-size babies.

7. What means do you use to sculpt your babies with?
I didn't quite understand the question, but I use real pictures of babies as inspiration.

8. What inspires and motivates you to sculpt?
This is a difficult question, as I tried to sculpt out of curiosity, and actually found myself there, I love to create, I love to see something coming out of a piece of dough for me is so much more rewarding than just being reborn, which motivates me are several factors. But the main thing is because I love sculpting, I love more than being reborn.

9. Do you sculpt full time and do you have other hobbies?
I wish I could sculpt full time, I have custom reborn requests from clients, I have affair and 1 and a half year old daughter who still depends a lot on me, I have almost no time left to work, but I really wish I had more time, and would surely use to sculpt more.

10. Not only sculpt for kit production or do you make custom ~ portrait orders too?
I prefer to make kits than personalized by portrait, because the responsibility is too big, and too long, and since I don't have much time, I prefer not to do by portrait, I make OOAK mini babies, but only prompt delivery.

11. When did your first kit come out and what was the baby's name?
The name of my first kit is Wandon.

12. How many kits have you produced to date?
Currently 2, Wandon and Pierson are coming out these days, but I already have zoey in process that will soon go to the factory.

13. Do you have a list of names of all your kits you have produced as we would like to have an archive directory for your sculpt?
1- wandon
2- Pierson
3- Zoey

14. Which baby of yours has been your favorite all the time and why?
I can not choose, because with each new baby, I improve something that bothered me in the previous one, I always improve myself more and more, so I don't know how to choose lol

15. Do you plan on continuing baby carving kits?
Of course, I don't think I ever stop sculpting.

16. How do you feel about the reborn doll industry? What turns you on and what bothers you?
I feel bad for several factors:
Lack of union (mainly because I'm Brazilian) the doors are always closed to me, for the simple fact of being Brazilian.
Do not give us opportunities, do not enjoy, do not comment on our work, do not give help when we ask (not all, but it is recurring)
I often feel alone without support.
Customers do not value anything, nor a thank you we get here.
Financial conditions are terrible, for example, to get a kit bought from abroad, we pay thousands of fees, Brazil charges a lot of fees, most are abusive and there is no way to argue with the government, or we pay, or are left without the product, tampered with. Declaration of the value of the content to charge more, unfortunately this is how it is here, everything costs twice or triple that you usually pay there in your country, is absurd how Brazil steals so much.
Not least, what bothers me a lot is piracy, and hearing from other artists who will stop selling, sending to Brazil, makes me very sad, because we have many honesata artists who fight against piracy, and we are played by corner, it's really unfortunate, we practically exclude everything.
What excites me is just the matter of creating, and seeing that people enjoy my work, seeing people commenting and sharing, makes me excited and motivated to do new work.

17. How do you feel about the progression of the art of reborning over the last 10 years?
Today I find everything easier, very easy, artists used to charge even to say what color you used in something, or the color of the eyes you used, did not say where they bought, today we find it easy, more practical, many things have changed as expected, vinyl with better coloration, the sculptors perfecting the realistic details, wonderful surreal painting techniques, I'm delighted with everything today, this is wonderful, the progression is huge compared to 10 years ago, I'm very happy with the modernities, just missing courses online so that we can have access to our favorite artists, for example I would love to take a course with Beatriz clemente, Alexa bald, a silicone painting course, but for me it is unfeasible, I need many things to leave the country and is a very high value, for me it weighs a lot, because it depends on the reborn and the sculptures to live, but I can not but invest in my work and improve myself, so it will be a dream to be able to access the courses without be in person.

18. Do you think this industry has a long term future or do you think it's just a fad that will explode again?
I think reborn will continue, many, many years, because there are collectors and art lovers, and everyone loves new things, many babies and children can come, as technology can advance, I don't believe it's fashion, it can be for some that usually buy for children to play, but serious collectors will always wait for the news.

19.What are your plans and hopes for the future?
My plans for the future is to have my art recognized, I have bonnie brown and laura lee as inspiration, I want to be like them in the future, very talented, and see people wait for a kit of mine, that would be a dream for me, I want one day make silcione babies too, and have my own manufacture.

20. Do you have anything new in the works?
I have zoey that I am working to be a vinyl kit, and also a mini baby Ayla that I will soon talk about her, besides mini babies in resin, are many projects, but it needs time to realize them, and I think very quick.