danleo 14 April 2012

danleo was born in London in 1984 and returned to Ireland in the early 1990s where he studied Animation and Graphic Design at the Institute of Art Design and Technology, Dun Laoghaire. Using spray paint on canvas but applying it with a paintbrush, danleo has a unique and audacious graphic style, with a visual language all his own. It’s born out of a steady consumption of obscure cultures, music and street level art movements. Inspiration for his work often comes from nature, animals and mythology and he creates wild, visceral worlds that he populates with colourful low lives, omnipresent deities, and animal idols.

Most of danleo‘s recent work has been centred on the idea of harmony between species and ancient beliefs. “I take a lot of influence from foreign cultures and ideas that may no longer be in practise. Flora and fauna feature heavily in my work but are often painted with a contrasting dark twist. In terms of technique I try to produce pieces that are clean, bold and colourful. The aim is to create work that looks as if it was made using vector software but have actually been painted by hand.”

danleo draws reference from a wide range of sources, though he owes much of his inherent aesthetic to the cartoons and comic books of his childhood. He builds back-stories to all of his works, researching ideas and deconstructing subjects, paring them down until the final piece becomes an ambiguous personal interpretation, leaving only subtle hints in the titles.

danleo’s work straddles graffiti culture, pop art and graphic illustration andRandom Specific presents a significant and confident first step in a distinctive stylistic exploration. For more visit danleodesign.com or danleo on facebook.

danloe – Update from Vancouver »
More Featured Street Artists »
Return to Home »