Alphonse van Woerkom was born in Holland in 1943. He received his MFA in painting before relocating to the U.S. in 1971. Van Woerkom ventured into political cartooning for various newspapers in the U.S. and Holland and authored two collections of satirical drawings published by Random House/Knopf - “Face to Face” in 1974 and “Common Life“ in 1976.

Transitioning back to painting, he showcased his works in group exhibitions and a solo exhibition in New York. His series of small portrait paintings on copper plates led to an exhibition before he returned to Holland to work as a political cartoonist for a newspaper. The newspaper funded his showcasing of "Drawings from the Balkan conflict" after reporting from Yugoslavia, turning it into a traveling exhibition. Upon returning to New York, he contributed to New York Newsday.

Currently, Van Woerkom imparts drawing skills at the School of Visual Arts in New York and New Jersey City University in Jersey City, New Jersey.