“My artworks are silent sermons speaking to the core of each individual where Abba Father wants to meet him or her.”
Ilse Kleyn, born and bred in Vanderbijlpark, is a self-taught, full-time prophetic artist for the last fifteen years. She currently lives in Brackenfell in the Western Cape, South Africa.
In 2020 Ilse graduated in Theology from the Emet Academy of Learning and is currently busy with her honours. Before she became an artist, she was a police officer. “It took me 16 years before I stepped out in faith to walk in my calling.”
She describes herself as “the daughter of the King with many hats”. She is a mom of three (two daughters, one 22 and the other 25, and an adopted 8-year-old boy) and has been married to Drikus Jordaan for 27 years. Kleyn met Drikus in the South African Police service where he still works today.
Ilse is currently living out her calling as a full-time artist in service of our King. She deems herself a bit of an introvert but has no fear of speaking in front of an audience. She loves animals, reading, and spending time with her family. She strongly dislikes cooking, shopping, and gardening. In her artwork, Ilse is intrigued with the single form, human, animal, or still life. She strives to capture the character and mood of the subject portrayed at that moment in time. Each work of art portrays dramatic appeal. “My work is full of detail and the colours are vibrant. It is my mission to paint works of art with a message to all generations, not just a piece of art to decorate a wall. I do not paint commercial art, but each work of art is a dance with the Holy Spirit. For this reason, my skill and technique of work are irrelevant. It’s about obedience to the voice of the Father, not comparing my work to other artists’ work.”
Ilse draws her inspiration from “the Word, sermons, dreams, visions, and words spoken by friends as they pass me by. Life around me in general. God is never silent and each day I try to listen to His voice for clues as to what and how to paint the next project.”
Danielle Jordaan, Ilse’s daughter of 25 who is also a full time practicing visual artist, sketches her as follows: “My mom is very hardworking, disciplined and driven. She values excellence, truth, and honesty. Our family is her safe place, and she draws energy from being close to God and us. She is an activator, someone who puts things into motion. Action is very important to her and if she can’t do something, change things, or contribute then she becomes very frustrated. She is bold and very brave!”
