ART

Archeological evidence from Egyptian tombs puts the existence of dolls as far back as 2000 BC, making them a prime candidate for world's oldest toy. It makes sense that the first toy a human would think up would be made in man's image. Iranian photographer Ramin Haerizadeh has embraced the powerful imagery of dolls and uses them to represent death and hope. By shooting fashion models pressed against glass, Haerizadeh creates images with a strikingly pre-Raphaelite aesthetic. Like sleeping beauties on display, these flawless models seem as though their youth is preserved in glass cases. Haerizadeh says he wanted the images to appear as though they had been taken of glass coffins, through which you could see the corpse inside... He says the photographs are not supposed simply to depict glass coffins, but also to replicate dolls asleep on a bed of lace. 'It's a metaphor for hopfulness,' says Haerizadeh. 'They are still alive but sleeping, kind of like Snow White.' -- TIME OUT Dubai Magazine