Out of Focus | Werner Bronkhorst
Inspired by his unique perspective that “we are all tiny people living in an abstract world”, Werner Bronkhorst is a South-African artist and Father living on the East Coast of Australia. One of social media’s most remarkable viral artists is making his mark on the world and this month we have been lucky enough to be given a bit of his time and explore the story behind his revolutionary creativity…
Q: Where did your passion for art begin and how did that influence where you are today?
Picasso says that artists are just kids that didn’t stop painting, even though they grew up. And, I think that is the kind of person I am. I just didn’t stop. I loved art when I was at school and knew it was something I wanted to continue exploring.
But, instead of going to study it, I chose to travel the world. I was away when the pandemic hit, so I worked as a carpenter to subsidise my life as a young foreign traveler, which is where my appreciation for structural design and raw materials began. So, I suppose I have morphed the two into what my art is today.
Q: Your art is incredibly distinctive. Is there anything in particular that encourages your artwork and the method you use?
When I was a carpenter, I’d work with so many different materials such as canvas, wood, and plaster, which, although unconventional, could also be used by an artist, So, I went on to experiment using these materials on canvas, which has allowed me to develop a unique medium of art that stands-out amongst others.
Each of my collections has been completely influenced by the people and the things that surround us in everyday life. When you have a child, you see life through a different perspective and you realise how small we actually are. Everything is new, everything has to be explored, like the world is out there and we have to see it like it's beautiful. I want to create art that helps do that.
Q: What is your favourite piece you have created so far and why?
I haven’t made my favourite artwork just yet. And, this isn’t to say I don’t love everything I have done so far. But, I know that an artwork in a month, five months, a year is going to blow me away! Every now and then, I surprise and excite myself at the thought of that artwork.
But, if I had to choose one I have made thus far, I think it would be ‘Tan Lines’. It looked like gelato that you just scooped. And people are walking all over that gelato, but it looks like sand at the same time. So, that must be one of my favourites.
Q: You are so young but already so successful! What do you see the next five years holding?
I have always been a bigger picture person, always focusing on what’s ahead. But, at the same time, I never think ahead at all. So, in that sense, I don’t plan five years ahead. But, what I can tell you is that I want to do everything. I want to be a farmer. I want to teach people. I want to create businesses. I want to make clothes. I want to make furniture. I want to be a cool grownup. I want to be everything!
So, if Werner doesn’t inspire you to get out there and do whatever it is that makes you tick, then we are not sure what will. We love nothing more than exploring other people's journeys towards their dreams, just as we continue to at JAM. Everything is possible! And, we feel incredibly privileged to have had a chance to chat to the humble and ambitious Werner, and we can’t wait to watch his life explode with success!
Be sure to check out Werner and his work here.
