Ilse Gerber was born in Johannesburg. She grew up on the Aasvoëlkop Mountain in Northcliff, where she explored her natural environment.
Her creative inspiration started at an early age where she drew plants, insects, animals and birds. Her mother's love for nature and artistic interests helped shaping her childhood curiosity in art and nature.
She honed her artistic skills at the University of Pretoria where she studied a BSc degree in natural sciences. During this period she assisted lecturers in their doctoral studies by doing scientific and biological illustrations.
After she completed her first degree, she enrolled in a Masters Degree in Environmental Architecture, to fulfil her longing to combine her love for art and nature.
While working on her Masters Degree, she held her first individual art exhibition in Johannesburg. She met her husband where he was a guest lecturer at University of Pretoria. After completing her Masters Degree she joined her husband as a creative art director at their brand design agency. Her husband and she spent all their spare time in the African bush, sourcing creative material from nature.
She gave birth to her two sons and daughter while exhibiting her art at several art exhibitions in South Africa. She also landed several big assignments for corporate clients, painting large works of art for corporate offices.
Her artistic vision is to create unique art that inspires and accentuates the beauty of nature and why it is so important to protect and conserve it.
