ABOUT

'The Whole World's a Canvas, We're Just Walking In It.'

Werner Bronkhorst is a contemporary artist based in Australia. He is recognised for his two distinctive styles, with the first involving abstract sculptural backgrounds with hyper-realistic paintings of miniature people and the second involving charcoal drawings of cars with thick text painted over the top.

Originally from South Africa, Werner planned to travel to Australia for a gap year and ended up staying in the country permanently. During this time, Werner started to develop the distinctive styles he is known for today. After years of making artworks as a school boy, Werner put his artistic endeavours on hold to work as a bespoke furniture designer and craftsman. However, after finding out that him and his partner, Charli, were expecting a little girl in 2022, he realised he wanted to start making artworks again. 

Initially making them on side using leftover building materials, Werner would make videos of how he produced them and would post them on his social media platforms. Then, in late 2022, he blew up. Choosing to be entirely independent, Werner is the artist, manager, exhibitor, and seller of his art and has created his own ways of working. 

Werner’s textural artworks strive to inspire others to see the world in new and exciting ways. Often placing himself in the shoes of his daughter, Florence, he states, ‘We are all living our own little lives. And we are all part of this bigger journey. Florence made me see life in a different eye and think back to being a child when it was just this big world to explore. And she's exploring something new every single day.’  These artworks often depict unconventional scenes of human-centric activities, such as skiing, surfing, driving and walking - as these tiny people are located within one large abstract canvas.

Werner’s charcoal artworks were borne out of boredom and an appreciation for anti-art. After spending the time to create incredibly detailed drawings, it’s hard to imagine painting text over the top. But for Werner, this is part of communicating a deeper meaning. He loves playing with language, text and words and being able to share the message he’s trying to convey, Werner invites you to laugh, critique or simply enjoy. 

Whether you're an art lover or simply someone who appreciates the beauty of people doing what people do, Werner's art is sure to captivate and inspire you.