Artist Spotlight: Dirty Hans
Ahead of his upcoming exhibition at Windermere Fine Art Gallery, we caught up with gallery artist Dirty Hans to learn a little more about the story behind his name, what inspires his work, and how his distinctive artworks are created.
How did you get the name Dirty Hans?
In Liverpool people used to call me “Ands.”
Around 15 years ago I moved to Belgium where I was painting professionally, and over there they would pronounce “Ands” as “Hans.”
The “dirty” part is more of a lost-in-translation story. When I painted in my studio in Belgium, my Belgian girlfriend at the time would say I was a dirty painter, getting paint everywhere. What she really meant was that I was a messy painter.
She and a few friends started calling me Dirty Hans, the galleries in Belgium liked the name, and it just stuck.
What inspires your artwork?
I have a very hyperactive imagination.
I’m not really into labelling myself with things like ADHD, but my attention span can jump around quite a lot. Because of that, ideas often appear at random moments.
I might be listening to music or watching TV and suddenly my mind wanders into one of those creative moments where an idea for a piece starts to form.
That’s usually where the inspiration begins.
How do you create your artwork?
My work is created much the same way it has been for the past 15 years — long before AI became part of the conversation.
I work digitally using Photoshop and stock imagery, building compositions layer by layer.
These days the challenge is that many stock image libraries now include AI-generated content, so there’s a modern crossover that’s almost impossible to avoid completely. But the foundation of how I work hasn’t changed — people only have to look at my earlier work to see that.
The best way to describe what I do is digital collage.
It’s similar to what artists were doing in the 1960s, cutting images out of magazines and combining them to create something entirely new. I’m essentially doing the same thing — just using digital tools instead.
What well-known people have collected your artwork?
A few well-known people have ended up with my work over the years.
Collectors of Dirty Hans artwork include:
- Mo Salah – Liverpool FC footballer
- Carl Froch – World Champion Boxer
- Olly Murs – Singer & TV Presenter
- Vernon Kay – TV Presenter
- Ronnie O’Sullivan – Snooker World Champion
- Razor Ruddock – Former Heavyweight Boxer
- Iwan Thomas – Olympic Medallist & TV Presenter
- Emmett J. Scanlan – Actor (Peaky Blinders, Kin, MobLand)
And a couple of people from Love Island as well.
About Dirty Hans
Dirty Hans is a contemporary artist known for his bold, satirical digital collage artworks that combine pop culture, iconic figures and striking visual compositions. His work blends traditional collage concepts with modern digital techniques, creating distinctive pieces collected by art buyers around the world.
To explore available artwork by Dirty Hans, view the collection here.
You can also register for his upcoming exhibition at the gallery.