Christina Leitzel, a skilled maker of prosthetic eyes, was taught early in her apprenticeship to replicate the intricate beauty of nature’s canvas. She was encouraged to create prosthetic eyes that could mimic the perfection of a real eye. However, unlike the unique ways people can lose an eye, Leitzel wants to showcase the various ways someone can have a prosthetic one.
On a dreary afternoon in Portland, Oregon, a man in his thirties who had lost his eye to a BB gun left Leitzel’s office sporting a grin. A gold vortex shimmered in the pupil of his prosthetic eye, matching the forest green beanie he wore on his head.
Leitzel, also known as “Christina Oculara” on TikTok and Instagram, creates what she calls “fun eyes.” Some of her designs include pupils in the shape of sunflowers and the famed diamond slit of a beloved cat. She has had unusual requests, such as a man asking for a late wife’s ashes to be integrated into the prosthetic so that she can “see everything he does.” A woman adorned with piercings even requested a pierced iris, which turned out to be Leitzel’s favorite. The resulting video on TikTok was so popular that eye doctors felt compelled to post warnings against piercing actual eyeballs.
Social media has helped Leitzel’s practice become a hotspot for the one-eyed community. Perhaps, she suggests, blending in is often for the comfort of those who are fully sighted, not those who aren’t. Some people prefer to have their differences visible and use them as conversation starters.
Initially, Leitzel’s passion for designing “fun eyes” wasn’t always clear sailing. Her profession, ocularistry, requires a minimum of five years of training in creating, fabricating, and maintaining prosthetics. A few years ago, her professional association reprimanded her for a design that involved a cartoon penis, saying it lowered the esteem of the profession.
For any potential regrets, Leitzel requires new clients to receive a standard prosthetic, which costs around $5,000 before insurance. If they desire, she will create a fun one for $500. Alongside Rachel Yee, a friend and client, they raise money to cover the cost through the nonprofit organization called the Fun Eye Fund.
Leitzel’s journey into ocularistry began when a classmate at her Philadelphia art school handed her an eye. She was surprised to find it wasn’t a glass orb like in movies but rather an immaculately hand-painted eye. The classmate introduced her to their ocularist, who took her on as an apprentice.
Leitzel learned the art of creating eyes, such as using organic putty called alginate to cast molds and carefully layering light and dark pigments to create the illusion of dilation. She also embeds red threads into the resin to give the appearance of veins and takes into account factors that can affect the natural irritation of the eye, such as sleep and recreational substances.
Leitzel also listens to the stories of her clients, understanding their experiences and emotions. In some cases, she turns away mirrors during fittings, knowing the sight of their raw socket can be too distressing.
In 2021, Leitzel met Yee, who had lost her eye to cancer as a toddler. Yee desired an eye with a vivid, sparkling pupil, but numerous ocularists had turned her down. Leitzel, however, didn’t hesitate. Yee initially wore her realistic prosthetic among friends but eventually realized there was no point in hiding her unique eye after encountering hateful comments on TikTok. Yee now owns many fun designs by Leitzel and only wears her realistic eye for rare occasions, like renewing her driver’s license.
Not all of Leitzel’s prosthetic designs have been successful. She has trialed embedding insects like bees and scorpions, but they often result in crushed blobs. However, the scorpion surprised her when it glowed under a black light.
Leitzel’s latest project aims to create a snow-globe effect, involving glitter that dances in diluted glycerin. While it is not working as she hoped, she remains determined to make it work, even stating, “Liquid is not a thing, at least not until I figure it out.”
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/01/style/christina-leitzel-fun-prosthetic-eyes.html
