Jan ten Broeke was born in Over Ijssel, Netherlands and has been painting and studying art since childhood. Ten has exhibited in New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, the British West Indies, Germany, and Canada. Aside from art and art history, Ten also gains inspiration from the origin of life, prehistory, anthropology, geology, and astrology. Ten titles his work with his name and date of execution as opposed to traditionally titling them because he believes it confuses the audiences’ perception of his paintings rather than clarifying it.

Drawing inspiration from nature, biology, and history these elements are reflected in the abstract forms of Ten’s work. His work is characterized by biomorphic shapes and evolutionary forces, combining structures with forms typically found in nature. The fluidity of the shapes as they push and pull against each other give it a lifelike appearance of organisms from a prehistoric time. The colors that are utilized also give an indication of the tension between construction and biology. The smoky, hazy darkness in conjunction with the undulating forms gives Ten’s work a sort of a bleak atmosphere. Within this smoky hue there is also this natural color of blues and greens illustrating organic forces.