Ilse Oelbers trained as a boat builder in England. After working for several years as a ship steward and sailor on the Windjammers, Oelbers spent some time making wooden rudder and bow assemblies and other nautical decorations for sea-going vessels. It was a period of abundant commissions, with interesting results, but it became increasingly clear from this work that her true calling lay in three-dimensional form-making as a sculptor. With realism as her constant guide, but detached from decoration and functionality.

In recent years, Oelbers’ sculptures have addressed major social issues: gender, war, discrimination, migration, loneliness, and the uncertainty about the future. Yet they never deal with abstract questions, but always with the human being who must adapt to these circumstances. Oelbers shows how, under pressure from circumstances, people try to maintain their balance, how they bear loss and maintain their dignity despite everything. Her sculptures do not illustrate; they interpret. They add a layer of meaning to reality, thereby elevating the private above itself. Those who take the time to look will not find unambiguous answers, but are challenged to re-think humanity and consolation. Her work is constantly evolving.

Oelbers’ work is represented by leading galleries in the Netherlands and abroad and can be seen at various art fairs. Additionally, a number of sculptures can be seen at Studio Ilse Oelbers in Harlingen, the Netherlands.