Who am I?
My name is Kristel Jacobs, I live in Kapellen (Antwerp) with my husband and 2 sons. I grew up in Kalmthout, practically next to the beautiful nature park which was, in my imagination, the home of fairies and gnomes... When I discovered the books of Rien Poortvliet and Brian Froud and Alan Lee, I was completely swept off my feet... As a child, I did nothing but drawing elves and little princesses...
My first handmade doll ('Schanulleke', made out of coton) that I made when I was 12 years old still lives in my house...
About 6 years ago, I started to make statues out of self-hardening clay and I've been addicted to creating these dreamy, fragile creatures ever since... This is where my passion lays and that reflects in my work. It is not just about creating an anatomically correct figure, it goes beyond all that. It is more like the shaping of a beautiful elusive dream, always just out of reach and therefore all the more desirable..
Practising my art, I strive for the incarnation of youth and innocence, and a fascinating mix of temptation, naïvety and vulnerability..
When it comes to sculpting, I am completely self-taught. Since I never actually followed courses, I managed to develop a unique style of my own, without influences of other doll makers.. although I did get a lot of help from the books of Hannie Sarris, a very talented Dutch doll maker who sadly passed away recently..
My art dolls are made out of La Doll and Premix, lightweigth selfhardening clays which, once sanded, get the structure of porcelain... I make their clothes myself out of natural materials s.a. coton, silk and lace, which are hardened with Paverpol. My figures have hand-painted eyes. Their length varies between 28cm and 55 cm.
Their hair-do's are made out of strands of cotton, also hardened. Everything, from the sometimes ingenious hair-do's to the lace and silk clothes, is completely hand-made.
I paint my dolls with Acrylic paint, and then varnish them. Sometimes I also paint the clothes, but most of the time the fabrics are so beautiful and rich on their own that that isn't necessary.
I really love working with Paverpol. The combination of clay and hardened textiles lends a beautiful 'frozen' look to my figures. They are not really a doll anymore, yet not a statue either. For me, it is the ideal combination, the perfect picture.
Each art doll takes approximately 50 - 60 hours to make, and more if I use special accessories, s.a. the throne of Queen of my Castle or the shoe of Lady Shoe-Shine. Since I spend so much time on each art doll, I sometimes get the feeling that part of me, in a way, blends into the doll. The moment that I (finally) get to dress the dolls and harden everything is the highlight of each creating process ; then everything comes together and I get to see the doll how she will become..
Being the perfectionist that I am, I try to make every doll the best I can - at that moment. Only when I feel that I cannot improve the doll I'm working on any further, then she is ready to be finished. Things I may have learned during that process will be applied to the next creation. I also sense an evolution in my doll making, at the beginning, I just tried to make a simple figure (which was challenging enough at the time), but now I search for something more, I tend to make my creations more surrealistic (Lady Shoe-Shine, Queen of my Castle) or spiritual (Stairway to Heaven).
My figures are very pure and authentique, their faces all look alike - although that is not something I strive for on purpose.. On my latest expo, several people also told me that my dolls look like me - with the same expression - and I take that to be a huge compliment! They are not perfect - no 'barbie dolls', but I think that it is just that what renders them unique and moving.
I believe that Doll making allows you to express yourself in various ways. It is a combination of designing, sculpting, painting, sewing, being a hair-dresser, figuring out practical problems... It is often hard work but at the end of the process, the reward is so fulfilling! And then, if you get such sweet comments of people, f.i. someone wrote in my guestbook : 'You really made me dream today", well that's all the reward you need..
My primary goal is to grow not only technically but also mentally as an artist. I already notice that I am starting to look and observe in a different manner then I used to.. Not seeing things as they are but as they could be - noticing opportunities. No parochialism, letting the mind go free (also in relation to other people).. Playing with size, forms, materials.. As a doll maker, you are the architect of your own universe and that is a wonderful feeling.
At the same time, I've been a student at the Academy of Arts of Kapellen for over 9 years, of which 6 years of Model drawing and painting and 1 year of Oil painting, and this really improves my sculpting...
My paintings are figurative. I paint with Acrylics on cardboard or Oil on canvas. I like to work with a rich and sensitive color palette. I strive for calm and peace in my work, and a little touch of mysticism.
Should you have any questions or if you would like more information about my work, don't hesitate to contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
