They may not be voodoo dolls but Liz Pearce's creations do have therapeutic qualities.
When the Rotorua based cloth dollmaker and textile artist is face with life's challenges,
she makes dolls.
They might be about her own personal journey or the journey of others
but they all have one thing in common:
they are called Heartfelt Dolls.
When Liz's sister-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001,
Liz began sewing her colourful creations.
By 2007, she had made over 50 dolls telling the journey that is breast cancer to many others.
Each one is a taonga, a treasure, and each inspires new creations.
The aptly named 'Heartfelt Dolls' have been exhibited in 2007 and 2010 in Rotorua
in the 'In The Pink' exhibition.
"The dolls rarely fail to evoke an emotional response from viewers", says Liz.
"Some have talked of their own experience of cancer or of those close to them.
There have been tears and there have been hugs."
The 2010 exhibition included a labyrinth of brightly coloured knitted breasts
that some described as cupckes.
The breasts, knitted using one of Beryl Tsang's patterns, were set on the floor amid candles.
For one woman, her walk served as a very personal marker in her life,
as she was later diagnosed with breast cancer.
And such was the power of this exhibition that she returned to share this diagnosis with Liz.
They remain friends.
The 'Flat Out' doll was made by Liz to acknowledge that some cancer treatments are invasive
and others are painful.
The doll represents the pain, likened by some women to being like a pin cushion.
Over the left breast Liz has place a row of pins.
Liz's empathy with women is such that she recognises that this pain may be from a mammogram
as well as the more invasive treatments.
Liz was also keen to draw attention to the good work
the 'Look Good Feel Good' programme does through her work.
This was achieved with a beautiful bald pink doll gazing into a make-up mirror, holding her wig.
Also in her collection was a full-sized woollen blanket in pink and black that recreates Lisa Gidlow-Moriaty's 'Dancing Woman' labyrinth. This art work was designed by Lisa to represent the heart pains that cancer brings. her dance celebrates the days of joy and survival.
It is an art work about survival and loss.
The original work can be seen at http://www.pathsofpeace.com/
Liz ensures her presence is felt in the community
by supporting the Rotorua Breast Cancer Trust's Pink Walk each year.
In 2011 she organised brilliantly attired dolls 'walking the walk' for this event.
It is also to this local trust that Liz donated the proceeds from her sale of 'Dammit Dolls' and inspirational pincushions.
"For me, dollmaking is a process that tries to give a voice to the inexplicable.
For each individual, the journey is unique,
and they find their own way to deal with the issues, changes and thoughts.
Some may find gardening or art or writing or poetry or patchwork to be their healing process;
a part of their transformative journey.
Dollmaking is only one of thousands of ways we human beings use to express ourselves."
When the Rotorua based cloth dollmaker and textile artist is face with life's challenges,
she makes dolls.
They might be about her own personal journey or the journey of others
but they all have one thing in common:
they are called Heartfelt Dolls.
When Liz's sister-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001,
Liz began sewing her colourful creations.
By 2007, she had made over 50 dolls telling the journey that is breast cancer to many others.
Each one is a taonga, a treasure, and each inspires new creations.
The aptly named 'Heartfelt Dolls' have been exhibited in 2007 and 2010 in Rotorua
in the 'In The Pink' exhibition.
"The dolls rarely fail to evoke an emotional response from viewers", says Liz.
"Some have talked of their own experience of cancer or of those close to them.
There have been tears and there have been hugs."
The 2010 exhibition included a labyrinth of brightly coloured knitted breasts
that some described as cupckes.
The breasts, knitted using one of Beryl Tsang's patterns, were set on the floor amid candles.
For one woman, her walk served as a very personal marker in her life,
as she was later diagnosed with breast cancer.
And such was the power of this exhibition that she returned to share this diagnosis with Liz.
They remain friends.
The 'Flat Out' doll was made by Liz to acknowledge that some cancer treatments are invasive
and others are painful.
The doll represents the pain, likened by some women to being like a pin cushion.
Over the left breast Liz has place a row of pins.
Liz's empathy with women is such that she recognises that this pain may be from a mammogram
as well as the more invasive treatments.
Liz was also keen to draw attention to the good work
the 'Look Good Feel Good' programme does through her work.
This was achieved with a beautiful bald pink doll gazing into a make-up mirror, holding her wig.
Also in her collection was a full-sized woollen blanket in pink and black that recreates Lisa Gidlow-Moriaty's 'Dancing Woman' labyrinth. This art work was designed by Lisa to represent the heart pains that cancer brings. her dance celebrates the days of joy and survival.
It is an art work about survival and loss.
The original work can be seen at http://www.pathsofpeace.com/
Liz ensures her presence is felt in the community
by supporting the Rotorua Breast Cancer Trust's Pink Walk each year.
In 2011 she organised brilliantly attired dolls 'walking the walk' for this event.
It is also to this local trust that Liz donated the proceeds from her sale of 'Dammit Dolls' and inspirational pincushions.
"For me, dollmaking is a process that tries to give a voice to the inexplicable.
For each individual, the journey is unique,
and they find their own way to deal with the issues, changes and thoughts.
Some may find gardening or art or writing or poetry or patchwork to be their healing process;
a part of their transformative journey.
Dollmaking is only one of thousands of ways we human beings use to express ourselves."
