Dysfunctional Coexistence

Art about consumerism: Examining the embodied energy of excess

This series explores the contrasting feelings of hope and mental anguish I experience when contemplating our culture of technology and overconsumption.

The bold, charismatic linework speaks to humanity’s confidence in our current production and manufacturing processes. Vibrant, divergent colours demand attention in any room, brightening the atmosphere. While an array of quintessential objects–whether organic or artificial–are connected together in unexpected ways. These unusual elements add a myriad of interpretations for the viewer to unravel slowly.

Internal organs are inverted and transposed. External organisms are linked to other inanimate objects and at times these relationships feel contradictory and confusing. Similarly, our reliance on certain technologies is contradictory and counter-productive to many of our environmental goals. Delving into the complexities of modern life is something I’ve done intentionally in this series, inviting consideration each time you return to the artworks.

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van den hooven is an emerging Australian abstract cubist artist whose style is instantly recognisable for its quintessential features: bold lines, consistent colour palette and his symbolic logo-like depiction of facial features, bodily organs and other familiar objects.

His compositions are intentionally cluttered and contradictory, reflecting the chaos of modern life through a unique visual language that fuses the internal with the external, the animate with the inanimate, the natural with the technological.

Born into a lineage steeped in creativity, van den hooven’s artistic roots trace back to his grandfather Abraham Leendert van den Hooven, a Dutch sailor-turned-self-taught artist who settled in Australia in the late 1950s. His mother, Margarita Rosa, also pursued fine art, nurturing a household where creativity could flourish.

Coming from a science research background, van den hooven’s own journey into art was reignited after completing diplomas in graphic design (2016) and illustration (2018).

His work often explores themes of consumption, identity, internal conflict using familiar and quintessential objects—facial features, organs, androids, tentacles, surveillance cameras, crustaceans, fish, and more—to challenge viewers’ perceptions of necessity versus excess.

Looking forward, van den hooven is holding his inaugural solo art exhibition at the Clyde Gallery, Bay Pavilions Art+Aquatic centre, Batemans Bay, in August 2025.