Jessica Geiger was born in 1969 to working class parents in Spokane, Washington. Her parents didn't realize she was partially deaf at birth. Doctors corrected severe ptosis (drooping eyelids) to prevent vision loss, but her delayed language development and facial bone malformations led doctors to misdiagnose her as mentally retarded. As a result, she was misplaced at special schools for the first three years of grade school. By the time she was correctly diagnosed, it was difficult for her to interact socially. Currently, she's being tested for a possible variant of Waardenburg Syndrome.

After high school, Jessica moved to Seattle to study painting and sculpture at Cornish College of the Arts. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in 1994. Always fascinated with dolls and puppets since childhood, she finds meaning creating these mixed media characters portraying society's underdogs. Life-size figures are created with PVC pipes, paper pulp, air-dry clays and other mixed media. Smaller pieces are usually made with aluminum foil and wire armature covered with air-dry or polymer clays. Finishing touches are added with acrylic paint.

Jessica has displayed her work at a number of Seattle-Tacoma area venues, including the Pound Gallery, the Bellevue Art Museum, the Sit and Spin Cafe, Brave Dog-Dead Dog Artworks, Commencement Art Gallery, the Globe Cafe, the Trapeze Gallery, Black Lab Gallery, Priceless Works and Artcore Studios. She served as artist-in-residence at the Tacoma Art Museum in 1998.

Her controversial work engenders strong reactions--you either love it or hate it. "My dolls portray characters who are normally ignored by mainstream society. I am inspired by the individual's struggle to survive and find meaning in an increasingly overcrowded, impersonal society. Working with clay, fabric and various miniatures enables me to bring this odd assortment of characters to life. It is my hope that their lives will offer insight into our own.

"The isolation of my early years insulated me from absorbing society's attitudes toward outsiders. I was free to form my own impressions."

Jessica at the Trapeze Gallery, 2000

"Often when I begin a new doll, I have no preconceived image in my mind. Surprises occur as their identities emerge from my subconscious into the clay. Each character is a fusion of my past, my present, and the people in my immediate environment. Their struggles, desires, and personalities are revealed through their faces, gestures and surroundings."