I knew about her works from my Illustration Now Volume 2 book. Seeing her vectors, I thought there was something very familiar about it. Maybe because they looked like dolls. I thought it was an interesting new approach. The fine threads of the doll's hair were amazing and the eyes were boldly spaced out in their own world. But today, I was saddened and disgusted at how she does it so easily, hurting the humble makers and photographers of D.I.M Dolls.
Mijn Schatje, real name Marie Blanco Hendrickx, is a successful artist who makes a living based off the images she creates. Prints of her work retail for over a thousand dollars, she's made deals with Sony Playstation and Fornarina Clothing, and large-scale statues have been created based on her pictures. Unfortunately, she is not as original as she claims. The faces of Mijn Schatje's works, as well as other components, are taken directly from photographs made by other artists without credit and, in many cases, without any form of permission. This site chronicles her primary source: photos of asian ball-jointed dolls, commonly known as BJDs.
Here are some shocking comparisons:
There is a big difference between taking somebody else's photograph/object as your "reference for inspiration" and "tracing (or whatever technique) it and hopefully create a new artwork and make money out of it". Of course, the latter never works. Artists should respect each other's style and value each other's creation. Tsk. Tsk.
