Since the 17th century, stories have circulated of sailors who would take primitive versions of dolls made of cotton and cloth with them on their journeys: an early way of escaping the loneliness of the voyage.

This fascination with artificial companionship has endured to this day: since 2018, and with an additional boost during the pandemic, the market for adult dolls has grown rapidly, shaping a global community that chooses such relationships as a way to escape isolation or conventional relationships that do not work.

Far from the stereotype of the isolated introvert, their owners come from a wide variety of backgrounds and age groups.

This project explores the emotional connections that form between people and their synthetic counterparts, and how these dolls come to act as confidantes or substitute family members.