Draft:Fin DAC

Fin DAC was born in Cork, Ireland and grew up in social housing in South London.^[1][2] Fin DAC is a self-taught artist and was influenced at an early age by an Aubrey Beardsley print and an antique Japanese tea set that were both in his childhood home.^[3][1]

Fin DAC, the artist’s pseudonym, comes from Dragon Armoury Creative, the name of his online portfolio.^[4] When Fin DAC initially started painting on the streets, urban art was commonly illegal, and often seen as vandalism, so the artist uses a moniker to protect his identity.^[5]

Fin DAC describes his style as “urban aesthetics,” combining the stencil methods common in urban art with the aesthetic of traditional portraiture.^[4][1] The term is also a reference to a group of creatives from the late 19^th century, including Beardsley, who believed art should be about creating beauty, not making political commentary.^[6] For Fin DAC, art has a therapeutic effect, helping the self who creates the art and the viewer who interacts with the art.^[7]

Fin DAC’s most frequent subject matter is empowered Asian women painted with an enigmatic mask across their eyes.^[5] His work showcases inspiration from traditional Japanese woodblock prints, manga, graphic novels and science fiction.^[8] His female portraiture incorporates a variety of visually opposing elements, such as mixing traditional dress and Eastern iconography with more modern and Western components.^[9] Fin DAC’s work explores representation and identity through his portrayals of women—particularly women of Asian heritage—presenting his subjects as powerful and worthy of celebration while challenging long-standing cultural stereotypes.^[9][10] Fin DAC asks his models to provide their own photographs, rather than facilitating the photoshoot himself, to ensure they are comfortable with the images and have agency in the process.^[11]

The distinctive mask which repeatedly features in his portraiture draws from various sources. One of these is the character of Pris from the film Blade Runner. The dichotomy of her being a sexual figure as well as an empowered, defiant one was something that Fin DAC found compelling.^[8] Another is the signature mask of pop star Annie Lennox, the first female androgynous icon of the 1980s.^[12] While Fin DAC does not share the significance of the two drips falling from his mask, the small dot in in between his subjects’ eyes symbolizes the artist himself. The dot, in the place of the third eye, represents Fin DAC’s spiritual journey and aligns him with his subjects, who embody the empowerment that he searches for in himself.^[13]

Major public murals

Fin DAC has painted murals all over the world, including France, Germany, Spain, Cambodia, Australia, Tahiti, and across North America. For the artist, working in a public space allows for him to make connections with a diverse range of people and bring art to all communities.^[7]

Select murals

Shinka, 2015

Meaning evolution or progress in Japanese, Shinka is located in Adelaide, Australia. Painted across a wall and shutter door, this mural combines East Asian and English Victorian visual elements.^[14]

Taaniko, 2015

Painted in New Zealand, Tanniko celebrates a Māori woman in traditional clothing with a Moko tattoo.^[7]

Vergiss, 2016

While he was on a tour throughout the United States, Fin DAC painted a mural in Tucson, Arizona entitled Vergiss. Fin DAC initially painted the same design in Berlin, but that mural was destroyed by someone who tried to remove it from the wall.^[15]

Osolterrae (Attitude of Gratitude), 2018

Painted in Portland, Oregon on a building featuring a living wall of 1,000 plants for the central figure’s hair.^[16] Nicknamed “Attitude of Gratitude,” this mural has become a local landmark and is widely cited as one of Portland’s best murals.^[17]

Magdalena, 2019

In 2019, The Frida Kahlo Foundation granted Fin DAC sole rights to alter Kahlo’s image for a 200 foot high mural in Guadalajara.^[18] The mural celebrates Kahlo’s personal strength, artistic endurance, and colorful fashion sense and is the largest depiction of the artist in the world.^[19][20]

Engeika, 2019

Painted in Kopenicker Strasse in Berlin, this large-scale mural integrates preexisting architecture into the design.^[21]

Shisoka, 2019

Painted in Acton, West London, Shisoka utilizes the architecture of the wall the mural is painted on to inform the design. In addition to his signature large-scale figural portraits, Fin DAC paints a landscape as a background.^[22]

A Quiet Moment of Contemplation, 2020

Fin DAC painted this mural in the private garden of a women’s psychiatric intensive care unit in London called The Shannon Ward.^[23] The artist intentionally left the lower portion of the mural unfinished so that the inpatients could paint on the floral patterns on the kimono.^[12]

Kokesh, 2020

As part of his “Hidden Beauty” series, Fin DAC painted this mural in The Netherlands in collaboration with local artists Nol Art and Edo Rath.^[24] The red and white color palette references both the Japanese culture celebrated in the mural’s subject matter but also the palette of the Netherlands flag.

Fin DAC’s work is included in the collection of the Urban Nation Museum for Urban Contemporary Art in Berlin, and in the Straat Museum in Amsterdam.^[35][36]

In 2017, Fin DAC’s work was featured on both an Irish, and an Australian, postage stamp.^[37][38]

Fin DAC collaborated with Bang & Olufsen on a speaker cover for the company’s Beoplay A9 speaker that was exclusively sold at Harrods in London.^[39][40]

In 2021, the artist collaborated with photographer Mick Rock, reworking some of Rock’s best known photographs of rock stars into prints and canvases.^[41] The collaboration was called MIDARO and proceeds of three of the print sales at auction went to the NHS, a mental health charity called Calm, and Care International.^[42]

In 2025, Fin DAC collaborated with globally recognized DJs, James Hype and MEDUZA, and painted a mural, original artwork and limited edition prints to celebrate their residency at Hï Ibiza nightclub in Ibiza.^[43] Fin DAC, who has his own background in the DJ world, was inspired by their technical skills and creativity.^[44][45]