A greedy record producer sells the soul of his submissive music composer to the devil. In exchange, he receives occult ovens that can bake baby birds into singing and dancing wooden dolls. Half-girl, half machines, the gifted humanoids are dressed stylishly by a nurturing choreographer with a unique creative vision. Mass-produced, hardworking and seemingly interchangeable, each puppet secretly has its own impassioned heart that dreams of soaring. They are built for the stage but destiny has got only one spotlight. Through painting, drawing and comics, Julien Ceccaldi (b. 1987, Montréal, Canada) portrays characters in search of love and success. Inspired by the archetypes of the Shoujo manga tradition, his stories focus on personal and sentimental relationships involving androgynous figures. Tracing along the line between cute and morbid, his work depicts the constraints of fashion and public image. Ceccaldi lives and works in New York. He has participated in several exhibitions in institutions and galleries including the Kölnischer Kunstverein, Cologne; the Consortium, Dijon; Mamco, Geneva; Gaga, Los Angeles and Mexico City; Jenny’s, New York; and Lomex, New York. He has been featured in various publications including Artforum, Frieze and Mould Map, and is the author of several self-published comic books. Gaga, Guadalajara C. Ignacio Ramírez 526 Santa Teresita 44200 Ciudad de México, Jal. houseofgaga.com