On Monday 12 May 2025, the College had the pleasure of welcoming contemporary artist Werner Bronkhorst, his fiancée Charli Te Puia, and his manager Bobby Hendry as our special guests for Formal Dinner.
Werner is internationally renowned for his unique artistic style, which blends abstract sculptural backgrounds with hyper-realistic miniature paintings. With over one million followers on Instagram alone (@Werner_Bronkhorst), he has cultivated a global audience for his work.
Bobby Hendry, Charli Te Puia, and Werner Bronkhorst with Sancta postgraduate Josh Riggien (PG 2025)
In his address to the Sancta community, Werner shared his personal and artistic journey. From exploring art as a child in South Africa to making the “terrifying and exciting” move to Sydney in 2020 at just 18, Werner’s path has been anything but conventional. In 2022, the birth of his daughter reignited his passion for creating and led him to develop his signature style using leftover building materials. Werner also highlighted the role social media played in his creative process, saying, “It wasn’t just a business tool; it became the bridge between my private passion and the public domain.”
Werner addresses the Sancta community at Formal Dinner
While his achievements are impressive, Werner was also candid about the doubt and uncertainty he has faced along the way – challenges he said he “wouldn’t wish on anyone.” His message to Sancta students was both inspiring and practical: “You don’t have to follow the foundational path to create a meaningful life. Success isn’t always about the one thing you’re good at. It’s about building something from what you have, where you are, with what you know. The things that bring joy, even if they seem small or impractical, deserve your attention. And when life shuts one door, build another.”
We thank Werner, Charli, and Bobby for joining us for such a thoughtful and inspiring evening.
