These Barbie dolls are being transformed into RuPaul’s Drag Race queens

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a white background.

A graphic design artist in the US is recreating the Barbie doll and transforming them into everybody’s favourite drag queens.

Mark Jonathan has always loved the classic American toy but was inspired to make his own twist of the figure.

Naomi Smalls as a doll
Naomi Smalls (Photo by mark_jonathan_repaints/Instagram)

“They’re such an iconic doll,” he explained. “There’s so much history behind the Barbie doll.”

The artist said that he wanted to change the meaning of the Barbie doll, and he thought drag was one of the best ways to do that.

“Changing the visualization and what it actually looks like and the meaning behind the Barbie doll is kind of what drew me to it.”

Jonathan is now working on his art with his mother.

“She’s always, like, loved drag queens and stuff but I think the more that I’ve gotten her working with these she’s been watching the show,” he said.

Jonathan uses acrylic paint and watercolour paints to master the dolls, and it’s a process which usually takes around three days.

Currently, he is working on a range of Valentina dolls, a queen who was in season nine of the show.

His portfolio so far includes Trixie Mattel, Bob the Drag Queen, Violet Chachki and other fan favourites.

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Valentina as a doll
Valentina (Photo by mark_jonathan_repaints/Instagram)

However, he has also worked on other dolls including Emma Watson’s Belle doll, which was notoriously mocked for not looking like the actor.

As well as working on a series of Valentina dolls, Jonathan also has Kim Chi, Aja and Miss Fame dolls in the works.

He added that he hopes more people begin to celebrate his art.

“I want to share with people what I do and get it out there. I’m kind of shocked how it’s snowballed into what it is right now.”

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Emma Watson's repainted doll
Emma Watson (Photo by mark_jonathan_repaints/Instagram)

Netflix in Portugal recently got RuPaul’s Drag Race and the translators made an epic hot mess of a mistake when translating some of RuPaul’s infamous catch phrases.

Twitter user, @phi_lipi shared a screen shot of the error which translated “sashay away” to “bye, go home, no one loves you”.

In France, “sashay away” got translated to “défile jusqu’à la sortie” which literally means “Parade to the exit.”

Mark Jonathan's work
The artists next projects (Photo by mark_jonathan_repaints/Instagram)

The show isn’t just inspiring artists, or failing to inspire translators, but families.

One mother watched an episode with her son who loved the show, and so they decided to drag up together.

She shared the beautiful pictures on Twitter but was later accused of child abuse for celebrating drag culture.

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