Ten’s first encounter with notoriety came the day of his birth. His mother would often tell how he entered this world in the wee hours of the morning on Pentecost Sunday (June 8, 1930), while a severe thunderstorm raged and ravaged the countryside. Ten was born a blue baby gasping for air. A thin membranous veil—locally believed to signify the gift of second sight—covered his face. This took place in the isolated, rural town of Mariënberg, in the Dutch province of Overijssel. That very same night, two heifers were struck by lightning  and killed within a mile’s distance from the ten Broeke home.

Ten arrived in the United States in 1955 as a young man. While working as a drug designer with some of the greatest minds in organic chemistry, Ten never neglected his career in art. He was an active member of the vibrant, revolutionary art scene that electrified Greenwich Village in the late ‘50s and ‘60s, where he earned the admiration and friendship of many of the scene’s most influential members. His work has been exhibited in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, the British West Indies, Germany, and Canada. 

Ten’s 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 used 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 bleak atmosphere. Within this smoky hue there is also this natural color of blues and greens illustrating organic forces.

Throughout his career, Jan ten Broeke has been known and recognized by his simple nom de brosse, “Ten.” Ten completed his life in 2019 at his home in the historical village of East Millstone, NJ, which he shared with his wife, Barbara. They were both highly active in local environmental and historical preservation initiatives, and Barbara continues to advocate for conservation, preservation, and historical interpretation. Barbara and Ten raised two daughters: Yannie living in New York City and Diena living with her family in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ.