1956-

Fré Ilgen was born in Winterswijk, The Netherlands. Ilgen studied a variety of fields, including psychology at the Royal University in Leiden, art education at the NLO ZWN in Delft, and fine art at the Academy of Fine Art in Rotterdam, before completing his Master of Arts in sculpture and painting at the Academy for Industrial Design in Eindhoven. Drawing on such influences as surrealism and constructivism, Ilgen has worked to create a unique combination of geometry and gesture in his own paintings and sculptures. He uses ribbon-like bands of stainless steel, painted in saturated colors, and shapes them into playful, dynamic sculptures that unravel the openness and complex simulation of movement.