Saudi speech-language pathologist with a passion for the arts has made a name for herself creating dolls for children with special hearing needs.
Marya Al-Sunbul’s interest in art began at a young age when she started drawing and painting as a hobby but initially her career path took a different route.
She said: “I did not get encouragement … because it was during a time when most artists either became art teachers or had trouble finding a job.
“So, I decided to take the medical route and studied to become a speech-language pathologist and completely stopped drawing and painting.”
Al-Sunbul had a moment of epiphany five years ago when her father passed away. She described it as being “in a state of shock,” and she asked herself, “why wait? Why don’t I go back to doing what I adore and fulfil my dreams?”
She returned to painting and joined a workshop with Saudi artist Zaman Jassim, but it was no longer the same for her. “I felt as if painting wasn’t my passion,” she added.
Her admiration for handmade crafts and love of “color and creating things by hand” sparked her interest in learning how to crochet.
She said: “After scrolling through a website with the most beautiful, crocheted shawls decorated with flowers and bursting with color, I decided not to purchase anything, but instead create them myself.”
The world of crocheting became an “ocean of lessons” for her.
“Every time I learned something new, before I could even finish learning it, I was anticipating the next thing,” Al-Sunbul added.
At the peak of her fascination with crochet she was learning six or seven techniques at a time.
“It took me to another dimension and all the colors were so joyful. Whenever I looked at crochet shawls, I would be amazed.”
She discovered amigurumi, a Japanese method of crocheting that is used to create stuffed dolls and animals.
Al-Sunbul said: “Amigurumi is a more complex method than crocheting a shawl because it requires a lot more tugging and calls for a particular type of yarn.
“My hands hurt for an entire week due to the intricate work, stitching, and manual strength needed, but I really enjoy making them.”
She also took an online course to improve her skills and to learn how to make specific styles of amigurumi with detail that gives the impression the dolls are drawn.
In her work as a speech pathologist, Al-Sunbul often makes dolls for her young patients.
“My focus is on children’s hearing rehabilitation using cochlear implants, so I made a doll that is wearing a cochlear implant to represent a child with hearing impairment. It made me really happy to have done that,” she added.
Al-Sunbul makes custom-made dolls for customers throughout the Kingdom, along with pieces using macrame, a type of crocheting technique that involves knotting instead of weaving.
She is currently working on expanding her collection of crocheted items and dolls for a future exhibition.
“Creating handcrafted art made me calmer and more focused. It offers a great sense of relaxation and I absolutely adore that,” she said.