Female figures

"Modern dogu"

In Aarin Purple’s current practice is creating  a series of miniature female figured sculptures which are inspired from Japanese ancient clay figurines called Dogu.土偶：earthen figures are small humanoid and animal figures during  the late Jomon period( 14000-400BC) A significant feature of the dogu is that they have small waist and wide hips which appeared to be modeled as female  and there are many different  shapes.

Aarin loves their uniqueness, their intrigue, or ability to expand her curiosity about unknown sphere of our history. From her passion towards the mysterious Dogu figures,  she started creating a series of modern version of female figured dolls with found objects.

It is believed that Jomon dogu figured dolls were  a talisman for good health and safe child birth. Another theory is that these were goddess to whom Jomon people prayed for food and health. Other explanations are toy for children, funeral offerings, or objects used in some unknown ritual.

Despite of her motivation to create these dolls with her fascination from Dogs figures, her series of female figures have a totally different message for a modern women’s life. They are a reflection of a society and a humanity in which she observes in her daily life. 

In modern life , women have so much pressures from society although  women have so much freedom to their choices.The modern woman should have a career, but she must still have to wish to have kids one day. Her recent practice is focused on female's struggle and pain physically and mentally. 

In her  modern version of dogu figures series, mundane objects are used in semiotic sense . She transforms ordinary objects into unique shapes and they meet oddly hypnotic, brutal and uncanny figures.

She wishes if modern human could  live more simple and naturally like in one of those mysterious Jomon  era.

This "modern dogu" is an ongoing project which she started since 2016.