Ilse Molenaar

Ilse Molenaar creates worlds that emerge from research into nature, the distant past and mysterious places where the magical seems possible. Both the illustrations and the texts leave room for interpretation, allowing the viewer to immerse themselves in a dream world that arises from the maker's own experience and feeling. Ilse's stories revolve around curiosity and events within a fictional reality. Through her work, she wants to encourage others toward wonder and give them access to her own fantasy world.

As her graduation work, Ilse presents the picture book 'Altus, a Journey Through the Underworld.' Through the alternation and combination of drawing and writing — which continuously reinforce one another in the making process — a fantasy world emerges in which a fictional story unfolds. This world consists of two layers, separated by gigantic plants. The upper world is called Nimbus and is located above the greenery. This place is inhabited by people who live in castles. Because it is difficult to travel from village to village through the plants, carpets connect the castles like floating paths. In addition, there is Altus, the lower world, where various creatures live beneath the dense canopy of leaves. The story takes place in Altus and follows the main character Lilly, who comes from Nimbus. Through her perspective, the reader discovers this unknown world step by step.