12 Picasso-Inspired Face Artworks By Johanna VDBB
Hailing from the Netherlands, Johanna van den Berg developed a love for geometric lines and figures thanks to her architect father. As her art evolved, she began to merge geometry with anatomy, delineating expressive human forms rooted in cubism. Her signature style is characterised exclusively in black, white, and grayscale, reimagining the placement and proportions of the facial features of her characters. Her subjects are often sketched from multiple perspectives, with each shape, line and angle offering a fresh view and echoing the creative journey she undertakes with each work.
Johanna has been increasingly gaining recognition online under the name Johanna VDBB for her Picasso-like compositions. She explained, “My Dutch first name ‘Joke’ (pronounced: Yo-keh) would naturally cause confusion in English-speaking countries, so I use my official name: Johanna van den Berg-Borggreve, or Johanna VDBB.”
More info: Instagram | JohannaVdbb
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In an interview describing her artistic beginnings, ’53-born Berg-Borggreve shared, “I have always been creative; fantasy was paramount. At thirteen, I invented my own language, wrote stories, and loved to draw. However, at home, I was taught that ‘real art’ should be realistic. When I timidly shared my childhood drawings, people thought they were nice but very different from what they considered real art. As a result, I never took my own work seriously and stopped drawing completely at seventeen in 1970.”
She divulged how this spurred a prolific creative output, “Many years later, during the 2020 lockdown, I suddenly felt the urge to draw again. I started with geometric shapes, familiar from my father’s influence, but soon sought more emotion and freedom. Encouraged by family, I produced a flurry of new drawings—I felt I had to make up for fifty lost years.”
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Reflecting on her creative process, Berg explained that drawing comes naturally to her. “Drawing is a very organic process for me. I’ve never related to the idea of ‘the empty paper staring at me.’ I simply begin, and everything flows effortlessly. I never throw anything away—when I make a mistake, I turn it into something entirely new. My inspiration isn’t drawn from specific sources; it just arises on its own. Life itself is the only inspiration.”
She continued, “My style grew freer over time. After the ‘Lines and Shapes’ phase, I moved on to portraits, calling the series ‘MirrorZ’ because everyone can see something different of themselves in these works. I loved being the creator of my own world! Eventually, I let go completely—an eye off the head, a mouth on the shoulder, nothing was too unusual. Step by step, I developed my own style, paying special attention to the eyes, playing with corners and perspective, often adding windows and birds… Was this a longing for freedom?”
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Though a late bloomer in the art world, Berg-Borggreve quickly attracted attention on Instagram. Her first shared drawing in May 2020 went viral with 16,000 likes, bringing her a diverse following that includes artists and celebrities.
Reflecting on her rising fame and the imitation of her style, she says she welcomes it as long as credit is given. She also permits others to colour her drawings, even if it’s not to her personal taste. “Drawing is just fun, wonderfully relaxing. I do not let myself be limited, not even by my age. Everything is possible.”
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