Hans van der Lek, self-taught, is best known for abstract coloristic gouaches and oil paintings. Everyday objects, fruits and leaf motifs are recognizable elements, which are eventually combined into purely balanced compositions of shapes and colours. For this, Van der Lek sometimes used the air-brush technique, which resulted in sharp contours. He also combined gouache with collage, glued-on materials, which are visible as a substrate through the sometimes thin layer of paint.