Werner Bronkhorst.

'The Whole World's a Canvas, We're Just Walking In It.' Werner Bronkhorst is a South African-born Australian contemporary visual artist, recognised for two distinct bodies of work: abstract, sculptural backgrounds set with hyper-realistic paintings of miniature people and objects, and charcoal drawings of speeding cars layered with bold, double-meaning text. He shares his process openly with a global audience that now numbers in the millions.

Raised in Pretoria, South Africa, Bronkhorst explored art from a young age, drawing on abstract expressionism, surrealism and pop culture, and the work of Warhol, de Kooning, Haring and Magritte. After moving to Sydney in 2020 he worked as a bespoke furniture designer and craftsman, until the birth of his daughter Florence in 2022 reignited his practice. Using leftover building materials, he developed a signature technique: thick, boldly applied layers of paint spread across the canvas to form seamless three-dimensional backgrounds for his miniature figures.

His collections play on the old 'sex, drugs and rock and roll' cliche, a cheeky counterpoint to his real life as a young father and business owner, with each series tied to an element or season, The Strokes to the beach, White Lines to snow, Forbidden Grass to sport and park life, and Wet to water. Alongside the paintings, his charcoal works channel a lifelong love of black-and-white photography and the blur of motion, rendered in willow charcoal and soft white pastel. Working as his own artist, exhibitor and seller, Bronkhorst continues to forge an independent path in the contemporary art world.