Ralf Kokke is a painter from Rotterdam whose work primarily reflects the experiences of the working class. Drawing on his own history of growing up in a family of dockworkers, Kokke often depicts figures that are physically and psychologically oppressed by labor—hunched over, trapped by social structures, and unable to break free. His imagination is distinctive, combining classical components of Western art history with contemporary elements of fantasy. Kokke portrays joy and sadness side by side, reflecting social themes relevant to contemporary culture.