The “Island of the Dolls” is a real tourist attraction in Mexico City with a chilling story about its creator, Don Julián Santana Barrera, who discovered the body of a young girl drowned in the canals and began hanging dolls to appease her restless spirit. He spent decades collecting and hanging dolls, believing they helped protect him from the girls’ spirit, eventually leading to thousands of them covering the island. Years later, the caretaker himself was found dead in the same spot where the girl had drowned. While many believe the story, some historians suggest the tale is more folklore than fact.  This unsettling and spooky location also inspired the music video for Lady Gaga’s song, “The Dead Dance”, which was directed by Tim Burton and filmed there in mid July 2025. 

Materiales : vintage fabrics, tulle, oaxacan yarn, wool yarn, confetti technique, free motion quilting, raw edge apliqué, 3D dolls my husband made for me, and found objects.