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Robin Hickman-Winfield celebrates the stories, elegance, beauty and talent of Black men and women through soulful dolls.

In the Soulful Dolls Journey gallery and social media exhibit, visitors experience "life-styles in miniature," inspiring doll artistry which uniquely presents positive and powerful imagery of family, community and history, with a splash of social commentary. The artist's vision and passion for realism and attention to detail comes through in her intricately re-styled dolls, handcrafted accessories and props, displays and photography.

About the Artist

Robin Hickman-Winfield is the Executive Producer and CEO of SoulTouch Productions. One of her greatest passions is her divinely inspired artistry and collection of multi-ethnic fashion dolls. In 1995, she launched “RealTouch: A Celebration of Soulful Dolls” where she presented her original re-styled fashion dolls, handcrafted furnishings and accessories (hats), stationary, and photography of the lifestyle scenes. Over the past 25 years Robin has used the RealTouch “community” in motivational presentations to promote the "power of play" and creativity, nurture positive self-esteem, and inspire the appreciation of ethnically diverse images and life-styles.

In 2016, following her first gallery exhibit at The Saint Paul Gallery, titled We're Pretty in Pink Too: A Celebration of Soulful Dolls, she spent the summer studying a variety of doll styling techniques to perfect her artistry.

Her collection and artistry has been featured on the HGTV series Collectible Treasures, Twin Cities Public Television documentary Close the Gap: Race Disparities and Minnesota Public Radio, and in the Star Tribune newspaper, Mpls.St.Paul magazine and the Huffington Post.

About the Organization

Robin’s Soulful Doll Journey exhibit was created in partnership with In Black Ink. In Black Ink provides publishing arts opportunities to African heritage communities that have been historically disenfranchised, and continue to experience exclusion. IBI’s programming mitigates economic, educational and cultural inequities.

“ No one can take my art and vision from me. That’s what I love about being an artist. No one can hijack “A Celebration of Soulful Dolls.” It’s mine.”

Robin Hickman-Winfield

Art In This Present Moment

This project is part of Art in This Present Moment, an initiative of the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, with funding from the McKnight Foundation. We provided grants to three Minnesota-based nonprofit organizations to fund work by six BIPOC artists who are changing and challenging dominant narratives through their craft.

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