Toys Inspire Art

In a collaboration with Mattel Creations, artist Mark Ryden reimagined the Barbie brand for a line of limitededition premium dolls “that blurs the lines between toys and collectible art,” reports the Kasmin Gallery, headquartered in New York. Ryden’s Barbie artworks and dolls debuted in Los Angeles during a pop-up exhibit late last year hosted by Mattel Creations and Kasmin.

“From the start, Mark Ryden has been an advocate for the idea that toys inspire art and that toys are also a canvas for artists to express themselves,” said Richard Dickson, Mattel’s president and CEO. “Having a relationship with such a wildly talented visionary further elevates the mission of our Mattel Creations platform.

“The collaboration also creates highly collectible art pieces that effortlessly blend the Barbie aesthetic with Mark’s own signature iconography in both delightfully unexpected oil paints and Barbie dolls that push boundaries.”

Mattel Creations (creations.mattel.com) is a destination for exclusive collectible toys curated by artists. The platform was launched in 2020 as part of the company’s 75th anniversary celebration.

With childhood innocence and the divine power of femininity acting as themes in Ryden’s work, Barbie is a familiar subject to the artist. “Saint Barbie,” painted by Ryden in 1994, is one of his most recognized paintings.

“Barbie has made appearances in my art for a long time,” Ryden said. “It is difficult to define Barbie. She is a cultural phenomenon, an archetypal figure. She is a bona fide celebrity, a subject worthy of Andy Warhol to portray alongside the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe.”