Dollmaker Ankie Daanen Shares Her Talents

By Hannah Kelley
Photos Courtesy of Ankie Daanen

Raised with two brothers, Ankie Daanen often turned to dolls for companionship. They provided a creative outlet that allowed her to immerse herself in a fantasy world of her own design. Even when dreams of becoming a ballet dancer or an opera singer were replaced with the practicality of becoming an educator, Daanen’s imaginative spirit proved strong. With time, it gently guided her down a road leading to a lifetime of making art dolls and sharing the process with others.

Try as she might to be satisfied with a career as a schoolteacher, Daanen said, “There was something ‘pulling’ me away, and I went to study music in the evening and weekends and finally went to the school of music.” She found contentment teaching music to schoolteachers, but 13 years in, she had an experience that altered the trajectory of her life.

An exhibition on art dolls was presented at a location close to Daanen’s home, and as someone drawn to the arts, she decided to check it out. It was her first encounter with art dolls. “Seeing those dolls hit me right in the middle of my heart! This was what I wanted to do,” she said. “I went back three times because it was overwhelming for me. I could not sleep anymore. I immediately took a dollmaking class, and my teacher was Niesje Wolters, a Dutch lady who was famous for dollmaking and was the person who started this in the Netherlands.”

In the 45 years since, Daanen has made hundreds of dolls. “I love to make all kinds of dolls, like lovely girls and boys, but always with an artistic touch,” she said. “I also like my cute and quirky dolls with a touch of humor in them. Maybe another good name for my dolls is Fantastic Figures. I try to achieve in a doll that the doll makes a connection with the human soul.”

A self-described workaholic with an abundance of ideas, Daanen constantly strives to create what she acknowledges is impossible: the “ultimate doll.” By her definition, this doll would be able to communicate everything she wants to say. “Dollmaking is a never-ending story, and I try to make dolls that stay in the memory,” she said.

Porcelain and air-dry Japanese paper clay are Daanen’s mediums of choice. She said she works more with paper clay these days because molds and a kiln aren’t required and it gives her a greater sense of freedom in her sculpting.

As for the exceptionally made clothes and accessories, the artist said she is constantly looking at the world through “doll eyes.” When she visits flea markets and thrift stores, she is able to spot unique fabrics and embellishments with potential to appear in her designs and adds them to her collection. “Some items are there for many years, and then suddenly they appear on one of my dolls and make them special,” Daanen said. “I enjoy very much to create the doll costumes, because making lovely combinations from all kinds of materials is a challenge.” She doesn’t approach her work with a set plan, but she said that by the time a doll is finished, everything should look as though it was meant to be there from the start.

Despite not feeling fulfilled in a standard school setting, Daanen does have a passion for teaching and loves to share the skills needed to sculpt, paint, and costume dolls. She said it’s meaningful “to see a student grow and be so proud of her- or himself when they look at the finished piece they made. And every student who steps into the class will be able to create their own piece of art!”

Daanen has held numerous classes on dollmaking and intends to continue doing so for as long as she can. “I teach classes in my hometown in the Netherlands, and besides the dollmaking class, I take the students on field trips to our most wonderful cities,” she said. For many years, she and her husband (who passed away in October 2024) held annual private dollmaking classes in Spain. With the classes limited to three students, Daanen wants to carry on the tradition she and her husband shared.

In September 2025, Daanen will teach a five-day class in Prague, which she said is “one of the most creative cities I know in Europe.” Attendees will have the option to make Boy With Crown or Steampunk Girl. The following month, she is holding her 10th class in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, which will span six days. She said, “For information on one of my classes, you can drop me an email and I will be happy to provide you with all you need.”

Although Daanen planned to attend the National Institute of American Doll Artists (NIADA) International Art Doll Festival that was scheduled to take place in October 2025 in Warsaw, Poland, the event has been postponed indefinitely. The Art Doll Grand Theatre exhibit is still expected to take place, however, and will display theatrically themed dolls from NIADA artists.

Those who are interested in learning Daanen’s dollmaking techniques but can’t do so in person have the option to sign up for her courses through NIADA’s online academy. She has been a proud member of the organization for many years and began putting her courses together after meeting Adele Sciortino of A for Artistic. They range from sculpting high-heeled shoes to making complete dolls, and Daanen’s goal for the courses is to bring the art of dollmaking to a wider audience.

“Making art dolls has enriched my life,” Daanen said, adding that it has brought her “so much joy, admiration, creativity, and what is almost the most important, making many, many friends all over the world. And I would like to express my gratitude to all my collectors who have made it possible for me to go on with making my art pieces.”

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