Aldo van den Broek

Aldo van den Broek is a self-taught artist whose work captures the fragile cycles of decay, transformation, and renewal. Shaped by life on the margins, he explores the impermanence of systems—societal, political, and personal—and the resilience that emerges in their collapse. For Aldo, decay is not an end, but a quiet moment of transition where strength and beauty reveal themselves in the ruins.

Through discarded materials like cardboard, wood, metal, and fabric, van den Broek transforms fragments marked by time into layered, textured works. His process of scraping and rebuilding mirrors the cycles of destruction and regeneration, with each scarred surface holding the weight of history and the possibility of renewal. These materials, imbued with their own stories, act as metaphors for the fragility and persistence of identity.

Figures emerge from his fractured surfaces as archetypes—rebellion, mortality, power—inviting viewers into a dialogue about survival, identity, and the tension between control and chaos. Van den Broek’s works reflect deeply personal experiences while resonating universally, asking: What remains when systems fail? And how do we rebuild meaning from the wreckage?

Rooted in materiality and emotion, van den Broek’s practice transforms decay into revelation, challenging us to see beauty not in permanence, but in what persists after collapse.

Homecoming speaks to van den Broek about his unconventional approach to making art, the emotional landscapes embedded in his work, and why he believes beauty often lies in the places we overlook.

“Living on the margins teaches you one thing: nothing is permanent. The city spits these materials out, and I rebuild them—not to save them, but to show how little control we really have.”

Aldo van den Broek

Working from a studio that spills into his garden, Aldo van den Broek’s paintings are shaped by the natural forces of rain, sun, soil, and time. His practice is an evolving dialogue between chaos and control, decay and rebirth. Using found materials, discarded objects, and moments of chance, Aldo creates layered works that feel raw, intimate, and alive — like fragments of a larger, ongoing story.

Q: What drives your choice of materials?

A: I work with what’s already failed. Cardboard, rusted metal, wood, cigarette butts – they’ve already lived through something. I’m not drawn to untouched surfaces. I want materials that have been used, discarded, changed by time. They carry tension. You can feel that in the structure. I don’t use them to symbolize ruin. They’re just honest. They resist being flattened into images, and that resistance is part of the work.

Q: How does your process typically unfold?

A: Slowly. Nothing is planned. I collect fragments, live with them, rearrange them until something shifts. I leave pieces out in the rain, let them warp or tear. Some sit in the studio for years before I touch them again. I keep multiple works open at once. They’re not compositions – they’re built conditions. A finished work doesn’t feel resolved. It just holds its weight. If it looks finished, I’ve gone too far. Then I put it in the garden for a while and let it breathe. A good piece should feel like it could still fall apart.

Q: How do you approach human presence in your work?

A: Indirectly. My focus isn’t in individual psychology. I’m more drawn to what happens when identity is shaped by a system – institutions, architecture, roles. Sometimes a face appears, or a figure. But mostly they aren’t portraits. They’re functions. Judge, father, patient, soldier – positions people inhabit. I want to know what’s left when those positions collapse. The courtroom, the psych ward, the family home – same architecture, different uniforms.

Aldo van den Broek

“Living on the margins teaches you one thing: nothing is permanent. The city spits these materials out, and I rebuild them—not to save them, but to show how little control we really have.”

Aldo van den Broek