Boundary-Free BJDs: Bardo Research Line is all About Experimentation

By Wil Peterson
Photos by Alex Geets

For countless fashion-doll designers, having a dedicated aesthetic or brand-identifying look is essential. But don’t expect that approach from Bardo Research, Oxana Geets’ genre-defying line of ball-jointed dolls. Faces, physiques, and individual essences result from whatever inspiration strikes at any given moment.

“I don’t confine myself to a single aesthetic. I often experiment,” Geets said. “Our collection includes highly stylized, cartoon-like characters, as well as more-realistic designs. There are elves, fashion models, and anime-inspired figures side by side.”

ASANO collaborated on this Anitya release (2024).

Fluidity and going with the creative flow are hallmarks of the BJD brand based in Lincoln, U.K. Bardo Research was established in 2014 by Geets and her husband-business partner, Alex. The business name marries the Tibetan term “bardo,” referring to a transitional or in-between state, and “research,” implying exploration. It officially launched with a preorder for Sadhana, their debut resin fashion doll.

Since then, a bountiful array of BJDs has emerged from Geets’ hyper-vivid imagination and been realized in the couple’s home studio. While Geets sculpts each doll, does face-ups, creates wigs, and serves as project manager, Alex is responsible for making molds, casting sculpts, photography, and occasional intricate body art enhancements using graphite pencils.

Bardo Research dolls range from about 7 inches to 16 inches (18 cm to 41 cm) and feature 14 to 27 points of articulation. Edition sizes range from 20 to 100 pieces, depending on the popularity of certain sculpts. “Honestly, I don’t have a particular preference,” Geets said of the height differences. “I enjoy switching between sizes and styles to avoid creative stagnation.”

The artist points to predominant characteristics that give the brand its enduring appeal. “I believe two major elements define the signature style of Bardo Research,” Geets said. “First is the underlying spirit of experimentation in all of our creations. As you may have noticed, I work in a variety of styles — some highly stylized, others leaning toward realism. It’s all part of a continuous exploration: discovering which style, silhouette, and line best express each character.

“Secondly, I view all of my dolls as sculptures first and foremost, not as toys. It may sound unusual for a doll designer, but I began my journey creating dolls as sculptural art, and that perspective has remained constant,” she said. “One of our characters, Anitya, was developed as a purely articulated sculpture. With her helmet on and closed-eye faceplate, she is complete as a sculptural piece. Yet, with the open-eye plate, she transforms into a doll. Anitya may well be the most emblematic work to the Bardo Research style.”

Geets’ fascination with dolls began at an early age in Russia, her native country. Acquiring a doll, however, was impossible at that time. “During my upbringing, there were no miniature dolls available to play with, so we improvised — fashioning them from whatever materials we could find: matchsticks, wire, flower petals, and more,” she said. “In the late ’80s, Barbie was an unattainable luxury. I only ever saw her in TV adverts interrupting my favorite cartoons.”

After receiving a specialist degree — equivalent to a master’s degree under the former Soviet Union system — in applied arts, Geets discovered Asian BJDs and was promptly transfixed. “As a sculptor, I found the challenge of constructing a well-articulated figure deeply engaging,” she said. “From the beginning, I’ve approached BJDs as articulated sculptures.”

Mastering the dollmaking process was a herculean challenge for Geets. “(It was) immensely difficult. Of all the artistic disciplines I practice — including traditional sculpture, ceramics, and painting — doll design is the most demanding. Creating a doll requires extraordinary effort, extensive time, and highly refined skills. It demands every ounce of patience, and often even more than you thought you had,” she said. “I am a determined individual with the ability to maintain focus on a single task for long periods, but it can still be a real struggle. I’ve only recently begun learning how to avoid completely exhausting myself during a sculpting project.”

This Pooja doll from 2020 is an ASANO collaboration.

Having explored multiple methods for creating master sculpts, Geets opts to use epoxy clay to sculpt the raw doll parts. “Alex then creates the molds and provides me with rough castings, which I refine into the final master,” she said. “From start to finish, a single project usually takes about a year, primarily because I can only work on new sculpts in parallel with other responsibilities, such as fulfilling orders and continuing my work in ceramics.”

In 2023, Thel was produced with a unique pink resin.

Geets outsources fashions by collaborating with popular BJD clothing designers, including ASANO (@sejongstudio on Instagram), Dollfason (@dollfason_shop), and Anna (@myata.a). “ASANO also offers pattern sets specifically designed for our fashion dolls,” she said. “We’re currently planning a new full-set collaboration together.”

As for other agenda activities, Geets — who is exploring a ceramic-art career and can foresee a time when doll design is no longer a sole pursuit — is working on her most ambitious creation to date: a BJD sculpted from stoneware clay. She also hopes to complete two long-running male doll projects. “It’s genuinely difficult for me to plan future releases far in advance, as my creative journey is often intuitive,” she said. “I embrace improvisation — it keeps the process alive and evolving.”