A street artist whose 200ft-high murals shook up the art world was dubbed ‘a great talent of his generation and one to watch’ as his first British solo exhibition that is set to make nearly £1million opened in London today.
Fin DAC (54), a Cork native, paints murals around the world. However, he only began street art when he turned 40 after a failed relationship.
Finbarr Note is the artist. His pseudonym is Dragon Armoury Creative, which is the original name of his virtual portfolio.
Yasha Young, curator and art critic, said Fin DAC was a ‘great talent of his generation’ and one to watch.
MailOnline was informed by her: “Fin is a modern-day artist in portraiture.”
Street artist Fin DAC, 54, (pictured) whose real name is Finbarr Notte and is from Cork in Ireland, only started creating murals after a bad breakup 14 years ago
He quit his job in engineering and drafted and began a new life as a street artist, creating colourful murals all over the globe. The artist’s pseudonym is Dragon Armoury Creative. This is the original name of his virtual portfolio.
Left, Artist Fin DAC can be seen at the Undertow portion of his Fitzrovia exhibition. Yasha Young (right), a prominent art critic, stated that the Irishman was a ‘great talent of his generation and one you should watch’
Fin DAC rose to prominence in the art world and began creating larger and more elaborate works, even though he was suffering from vertigo. In 2017, he created the mural Lady Kinoko at Ukai on Portobello Road.
In 2019 he was commissioned to paint a 200ft mural of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo in Guadalajara, western Mexico, by the English National Ballet’s Isaac Hernández, who comes from the city
One of his works is a smaller version, measuring 200ft, of Frida Kahlo’s mural on the side of a building in western Mexico. He stated that Frida Kahlo was “the pinnacle” of all that he tries to convey in his work.
MailOnline’s Fin said that he had a fear about heights but that when you’re focused on painting a wall, it doesn’t really matter what else matters. It was a case “suck it up princess.” Pictured: Fin DAC’s solo London show.
“The foundation of his work are Renaissance and Dutch portraiture, but instead of painting a person, he creates a character around the person and paints it as if she were real.
“He imbues his muses certain characteristics that are often an exaggeration on the muses themselves.
“His muses are more than names and faces. They are rarely painted just once.
“He has been working with the same models for ten to fifteen years but adds more when he discovers a woman with an interesting history.
“From the beginning, he decided that his work should be about beautification of urban landscapes and not social commentary.
Ms Young said that vandalism and street art are two different things. Pictured: Fin DAC’s sixth solo show at Gallery Different in Fitzrovia.
Fin creates colorful artworks that portray women who are predominantly Asian and Eurasian. The artist previously stated that he wanted to rewrite stereotypes about Asian women and Asian people.
His paintings depict women wearing a mask over the eyes. MailOnline was informed by the artist that there is a deeper meaning behind his works, but he wasn’t willing to reveal it.
Fin DAC and Meg, his first model and muses, who inspired him to start his first venture into street art. This was also the inspiration for the bronze casting (left). The original work is on the wall of Portsmouth, UK (right). The famous artist created a three-dimensional version of his original work for the exhibition to make it more interactive.
Two years ago Fin was commissioned to paint Frida Kahlo on a 200ft wall in Guadalajara, western Mexico, by Isaac Hernández, a lead principal with the English National Ballet.
Hernández was born Guadalajara and wanted the artwork to help inspire young people in the area to be creative.
Fin was the only artist to be granted permission by the Frida Kahlo Foundation, to change the image of the Mexican painter. He added one of his stylised masks in his portrayal.
It took 11 days to complete the mural, which is his largest to date.
His show in London displays a smaller version of his giant Frida Kahlo mural, his first ever sculptures and more than 75 paintings worth nearly £1million.
Although he admitted he wasn’t as good as the great Mexican painter, Frida Kahlo was his favorite example of what he tried hard to convey through his art.
Fin DAC stated that each mask has a distinct meaning to him. Collectors and art lovers will love his combination of bold colours and classical portraiture.
The Irishman’s first UK show opens today at Fitzrovia’s Gallery Different, where there are more than 75 of his works for sale for almost £1million
The most expensive piece is a whopping £36,000 while the cheapest is around £800. Fin DAC stated that the pandemic was the perfect excuse to stop travelling and instead sell his work.
Ms Young, an art critic, stated that Renaissance and Dutch portraiture are his foundation. But instead of painting a single person, he designs a character around them and paints them as if they were real. Image: John Domine
Fin DAC has previously painted studio-sized versions previous works for his London exhibition, including this original mural from Melbourne, Australia (Image by Dean Sunshine).
MailOnline was told by the Irishman that he was a former engineer and draftsman.
Fin has been painting on a larger scale since his fame in the art world.
The artist admitted that he struggled with vertigo when he was a child, even though he had painted walls up to 200 feet high.
He said, “I did have a fear for heights but when I’m concentrating on painting the wall, nothing else really matters.” It was a case “suck it up princess.”
Fin DAC often uses the same models to paint his paintings. For more than a ten year, Fin DAC has been painting some of his muses who are mostly Asian or Eurasian women.
Afterglow/Undertow is Fin DAC’s first solo exhibition in six-years. The last one was held in Venice Beach, California in 2015.
Afterglow is the most recognisable of his work, but Undertow is a separate gallery with inverted colors in his portraits.
To captivate his audience, the artist uses bold colours and overlays. They will pay thousands to own one of his pieces. The most expensive single piece is on sale for a whopping £36,000 and the total value of his works on sale from today is £967,210
One of the murals by Fin in his hometown of Cork, in the southwest of Ireland. Fin is a street artist who does not use stencils, but instead draws the piece and then paints it completely freehand.
Fin DAC’s mural at a Miami building on two floors. You can find his signature work anywhere from Los Angeles, to Venice.
He stated that while there was a meaning behind each of his masks and the markings on each one, he would not reveal it as it was ‘personal.
Afterglow/Undertow will be the maestro’s first solo exhibition in six years. He expects to make enough money to continue his travels abroad.
The most expensive single piece is on sale for a whopping £36,000 and the total value of his works on sale from today is close to £1million at £967,210.
He said, “You have to sell your work and this pandemic seems like the perfect excuse to do so.”
“The thing about a street artists life is that my globetrotting is paid for by me.
“Every time I return from a trip abroad, I lock myself in my workshop and create ten woodboard works.” [to sell].
“I believe I have an excellent style.
“I’ve never struggled with keeping my head above water.”
Fin DAC’s Afterglow/Undertow exhibition opens today at Fitzrovia Gallery Different. It will be open for one week, October 23rd to 31.