Aaron van Erp’s paintings explore the elements of human nature, a nature fascinated with horror and cruelty. Paradoxically, he depicts this gruesome world with bright and merry colors to emphasize the contrast between the seriousness of the subject and the seemingly primitive-naïve and innocent style of painting.
 
The narrative and the figures in Van Erp’s works are fragmented, forcing the viewer to question what he or she is being confronted with. These questions are often left unanswered; the spectator is overcome by the uneasy feeling of being an accomplice or witness to something evil. However, thanks to a wonderful mixture of open-mindedness and a refined lack of craft, the horrors are portrayed as though seen through the eyes of a child.