Bibi was born in Sneek, the Netherlands, in 1957 and was interested in sculpting and drawing from a very early age, particularly cats and horses. Her early attempts were spotted by the Dutch painter Hans Royaards, who encouraged her to submit two of her sculptures to an exhibition for young talent in the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, curated by Arti (the Dutch equivalent of the Royal Academy). Rather than continue this early artistic path, she chose to read classical Arabic and Business Studies at Leiden University.
In 2005 she decided to have one of her sculptures cast in bronze and it was therefore Cast-Off 1 that propelled her on the route she is on now: bringing her sculptures out into the world.
The expression of emotion is her main concern. If she cannot bring life to the essentially inert material that clay is, she does not persist with the creation beyond that initial attempt. The emotions are human but since she prefers the shape of animals, she tries to translate these emotions into their animal equivalent.
Her second concern is line and form. She prefers to work quickly and to leave a lot of detail in the eye of the beholder. This does not mean, however, that the extremities are less important. On the contrary, they provide the line and balance in her work that achieves their fluidity and strength, the spark of life so to speak.
Every one of her sculptures, whether mounted on stone, slate, wood or bronze, has that plinth specifically chosen to enhance the overall result. No two plinths are alike. The fact that nature adds an extra dimension in this way, creating subtle differences between the nine castings of one single sculpture, is a deliberate addition.
Bibi has exhibited both in England and The Netherlands, most notably at the PAN, the most important Dutch art and antiques fair and at the Battersea Decorative Arts and Antiques Fair with a solo stand.