On a sunny day, Gabi Matos walks through Taquaral Lake Park in Campinas, gently cradling a baby in her arms and cooing softly, like any doting mother. But a closer look reveals that the baby isn’t human — it’s a hyper-realistic doll, meticulously crafted by artists to look just like a real infant. In Brazil, demand for these lifelike replicas, which originated in the United States in the early 1990s, has surged in recent years.
“I’ve always loved babies and dolls since I was little. When I discovered these art models, I fell in love,” says 21-year-old Matos, who has recently faced online criticism on her YouTube channel, where she shares videos about caring for her dolls.
