| Several years ago an American |
| friend living in Japan sent me a |
| Japanese paper doll in the style |
| known as ningyo, and this may |
| have been in the back of my |
| mind when I began this series. |
| I'm sure I was also influenced |
| by local museum collections of |
| Oceanic and African sculpture, |
| ethnic textiles and historic |
| costumes, as well as natural |
| history museum exhibits. |
| I sculpted faces and hands |
| in white clay, and folded papers |
| I'd monoprinted or collected, |
| then added small objects, |
| bones and insect specimens |
| I've presented them in black |
| shadow boxes that look like |
| specimen cases. |
