Biography 

Ilse Pahl was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1972. Pahl is multifaceted and works in all mediums.  She majored at the University of Johannesburg in sculpture, printmaking and drawing, completing her Master’s degree in 2005.  She lectured part-time at the University of Johannesburg in the Multimedia Department until 2016. Pahl has exhibited both locally and internationally in Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, New York, Australia, and Nairobi. In 1998 she won the ABSA L’Atelier Award, spending one year in Paris at the Cite des arts Internationale.  She was granted a residency in 2001 at the Thami Mnyele Foundation in Amsterdam.

In 2003 she won the SASOL wax in art award. Her works are both in private and public collections locally & internationally.  Public commissions include the David Webster memorial mosaic in Troyville, BRT bus station and Hillbrow Orientation sculpture.  Pahl currently teaches at the Artist Proof Studio.

Artist statement

Currently I am working on exploring how to represent the female figure in my work by looking at my collection of objects that represent the female form in various narratives.  The pose, physical features, material and colour of the objects have influenced the works.  I have developed a female character that has evolved from being passive and submissive into an aggressive and powerful figure over a number of works.  She wears make up that is painterly and heavily applied on her lashes, eyes and lips.  The medium of paint /ink has similar material qualities to make up.  The fluidity of the ink has produced an abstract, undefined female figure that transforms the female form from sweet to nightmarish or monstrous.  Her physical features resemble a combination of the objects in my collection which are African fetish figures, curios and ceramic ornaments.