Home / on view / artists
Folkert is renowned for his life-sized sculptural figures, creating both historic and current political worlds. He invites the viewer to relate to them physically – to feel like a witness inside these immersive, often ominous scenes. We're drawn to the raw energy of his work. It feels like walking on a film set where history, myth and present-day reality collide.
Credit: Aatjan Renders
Folkert de Jong (1972) is known for his life-sized sculptural groups made from Styrofoam and polyurethane foam. These materials are typically used for insulation in construction, architecture, and even Hollywood set design. Using this unconventional, petrochemical-based material, Folkert creates striking and complex tableaux of grotesque worlds that explore power, violence, disaster, and other unsettling aspects of the human condition.
Fascinated by the darker corners of the human psyche, the artist pulls the viewer into a world where the bizarre and the vulnerable meet. Over the years, De Jong’s sculptures have become more technically refined and painterly. His earlier works appear rough and unfinished, often in the monochrome blue and pink tones of raw Styrofoam. Later, he began introducing a richer colour palette, cleverly blending figuration, abstraction, and symbolism.
Other work
