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Joram Roukes

Joram Roukes is a Dutch contemporary artist whose richly layered paintings combine references drawn from popular culture, global affairs, and personal experience. Through unexpected juxtapositions of figures, symbols, and fragmented imagery, he creates surreal narratives that balance dark humour with introspection, inviting multiple interpretations and open-ended reflection.

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Biography

Bio

Joram Roukes was born in Lelystad, The Netherlands, in 1983. He lives and works in the small city of Workum.

Academic Carrer

Roukes earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Minerva Academy of Arts in Groningen in 2006. In 2008, he received a stipend from the Dutch National Arts Foundation (then Fonds BKVB, now Mondriaan Fund), which enabled him to establish an artist residency in Brooklyn, New York.

Professional Carrer

Roukes has exhibited internationally in cities including Copenhagen, Paris, Berlin, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, and London. He is currently represented by StolenSpace and CASS Contemporary in Tampa. Since 2015, he has also developed a significant public art practice, creating large-scale murals around the world.

Influences

Roukes' practice draws on popular culture, contemporary society, and personal experience, combining recognisable imagery with surreal compositions that explore themes of identity, human behaviour, and global affairs. Balancing humour, symbolism, and ambiguity, his work encourages viewers to construct their own narratives and interpretations.