Ruud van Empel Dutch, b. 1958

Ruud van Empel is a Dutch visual artist internationally recognized for his pioneering use of digital photomontage. By meticulously assembling thousands of photographic fragments (figures, plants, objects, and textures) he constructs hyperreal yet dreamlike images that blur the line between photography and painting. His work often explores themes of innocence, nature, and the uncanny, inviting viewers into staged worlds that feel both idyllic and unsettling. Van Empel’s photographs have been exhibited widely in museums and galleries around the world and are held in major public and private collections.