Introducing: Werner Bronkhorst - Painting Sensation and Social Media Star

Werner Bronkhorst (b. 2001) has cultivated a unique and highly recognisable visual style. Small figures float above large textured scrapes of paint. It’s tactile, it’s colourful, and it’s very engaging. Boasting over 1.5 million Instagram followers, and over 19.2 million likes on Tiktok, Bronkhorst has swiftly made a name for himself: a social media sensation.

Werner Bronkhorst, © Werner Bronkhorst

Drawing from abstract expressionism, surrealism, and pop-culture, Bronkhorst overlays three-dimensional natural environments with hyper-realistic miniature people. He achieves scale, depth, and recognition. Inspired by the birth of his daughter, Bronkhorst paints to see the world through the eyes of a child. His figures are dwarfed by the vastness of their backdrops.

Currently, Bronkhorst is exhibiting at groundseesaw, Seoul. The show ‘The Whole World’s a Canvas’, displays works from previous collections: Strokes, White Lines, Forbidden Grass, Wet. 

Fish In Water, image courtesy of @werner_bronkhorst, Instagram

His impressive catalogue – originals and limited-edition prints – commands an equally impressive secondary market. Choosing to represent himself – acting as artist, exhibitor, and seller, Bronkhorst is a commercial powerhouse. His originals command a high price point. Recently, Fish In Water sold for $372,600 at auction. 

Passport Cover M14876, © Louis Vuitton

Recently, Bronkhorst hit the news. A collection of wallets, launched by Louis Vuitton, bore a striking resemblance to Bronkhorst’s work. On the wallets, miniature figures swam and floated above block colour backgrounds. The parallels are clear. Bronkhorst has made no statement on this, the closest to a response being a like on an Instagram post exploring the suspicious similarity.

The artist’s style is becoming so big, so recognisable, and so evidently commercially viable. Big enough for a major fashion house to engage in some parallel thinking.

Werner Bronkhorst, TIEBREAK! (Large), 2025

Giclée print on Hahnemühle Photorag paper with ready-to-hang heavyweight solid oak frame from FSC-certified sources, made in Germany

84.1 x 59.4 cm

Unknown Edition Size

Here at Smolensky, we’ve long been a fan of Werner. We have the pleasure of having several of his works in our collection. Works such as TIEBREAK!, from the artist’s acclaimed Wimbledon series, or Walk On Water from his Wet series.

Werner Bronkhorst, Walk On Water, 2025

Giclée print on heavyweight 395gsm matte Canson Infinity PhotoArt ProCanvas, made with long-lasting Epson archival inks

43 x 33 cm (16.9 x 13 in)

Edition of 69

Bronkhorst, already a hot ticket, is a clear winner – capitalising on social media to build a strong brand. Tapping into evergreen trends of abstraction, minimalism, and op art, Bronkhorst is certainly an artist to keep an eye on.