Rose Sigal Ibsen was born in Romania, migrated to Israel after World War II, and then moved to the United States in 1957. After a successful career as an enamelist, she studied jewelry design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and subsequently received many design awards. In 1979 she began studying Sumi painting at the KoHo School of Sumi-e in New York. She also studied Chinese brushwork at the Zhejiang Academy in China.

Sigal Ibsen won accolades as a distinguished American sumi brush artist. Her works were featured in numerous exhibitions in the United States and China, including at the Steinhardt Conservatory, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Gallery Korea, and at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. Among the awards for her works were an Award of Excellence in Calligraphy from Kamp Cultural Center, NY and an Award of Merit from Manhattan Arts magazine.

Sigal Ibsen passed away at age 93 on March 29, 2016 in her home in New York City.