PIDGIN DOLL

PIDGIN DOLL MEDIA PRESS KIT

PIDGIN

pid·gin | \ ˈpi-jən \ noun : A simplified language used between speakers of different languages.

Pidgin is an art doll by Los Angeles-based artist and sculptor Joshua David McKenney. She is a deeply personal form of expression—a way for McKenney to communicate with the world. And the world has spoken back: fans on Instagram and Youtube have created over a thousand fan art tributes, ranging from illustrations to makeup tutorials to cosplay. Pidgin has simultaneously emerged as one of the most sought-after collectible dolls, selling at such luxury retailers as Selfridges, Net-a-Porter, and Colette. Pidgin is currently available directly from the artist at pidgindoll.com.

ARTIST BIO

After studying photography at the Parsons School of Design, Joshua David McKenney began a career in fashion illustration, working for such clients as Elizabeth Arden, Mariah Carey, Mac Cosmetics, Scholastic, Nylon Magazine, Dolce & Gabbana, and La Perla. In 2010 he began teaching himself the basics of sculpting and doll making. McKenney fired his first porcelain Pidgin Doll in 2012, using a kiln in the basement of his Brooklyn apartment building. Pidgin has since evolved into a fully-articulated, resin-cast fashion doll with an international audience of collectors and fans. She has become a full time job for McKenney, who paints, wigs, dresses, and photographs each doll.

I'm very committed to the idea of dolls as art. Most people think of dolls only as toys. But a doll can be so much more—an elevated object full of meaning, power, and beauty.

PIDGIN FAN ART

Since her social media debut in 2013, Pidgin has become a muse for a large and growing audience of creatives, who pay homage to her style under the hashtag #PidginFanArt.

Pidgin is a very personal form of expression—in fact, her name means language. I didn't expect it, but when I put her out in the world, she was spoken back to me.