Elena Alekhina is a designer based in Saint Petersburg who creates realistic-looking animal toys. Alekhina studied to become an art teacher, but her true passion is making puppets.
She began her toy-making journey by creating a Salvador Dali skeleton doll. Later she transformed to fantasy characters and with her “smiling cats” she took part in some exhibitions in her homeland.
Alekhina’s creations are made of different materials; the head is molded from plastic, which is connected to the body made of stuffed textiles. All of her dolls wear traditional Russian clothing and take up to two weeks to finish.
Before she ships her puppets to their new homes, the artist takes pictures of the characters in the background of the city of Saint Petersburg. She posts her photographs on her Instagram account where she has gathered almost nine thousand followers.
Scroll down and take a look at Alekhina’s work below.
