De Hobokenaar

De Hobokenaar (The Hobokener), created in 1986 by Yvonne Bastiaens, depicts a male figure pushing a wheelbarrow in front of him with both hands. He wears a flat cap, simple work trousers and a jacket. The work has a rough, expressive texture and an angular formal language, characteristic of welded steel. The composition emphasises labour, movement and physical effort. 

The sculpture was placed as an ode to the inhabitants of historical, rural and later industrial Hoboken. At a time when urban renewal and industrial heritage were receiving increasing attention, the decision was made in 1986 to honour precisely the “ordinary man” in the heart of the neighbourhood. De Hobokenaar embodies local pride and recalls a district strongly connected to its working-class past. 

Yvonne Bastiaens (1931–2010) worked as an employee at the former municipality of Hoboken and only began an art education later in life. From 1973 to 1987, she took evening classes at the Royal Academy of Antwerp. She later specialised in ceramics and had a passion for creating animal sculptures.