Art Feature: Fin DAC, The Urban, Stencil Artist, Founder, and Originator of Urban Aesthetics.
London-based artist, Finbarr DAC, aka Fin DAC began drawing as a child and he attributes the cultivation of his gift to his mom giving him pencils and crayons at a young age because he was "too lazy" to do anything else. He continued drawing into his teenage years, and although he dreamt of becoming a graphic designer he decided to work instead of attending any art school, college, or receive any formal training.
"I lacked the confidence to follow art as a career."
Until eight years ago Fin worked several jobs, attended technical school and began working as a technical writer, writing plans for trains and engineers, when he realized that the only thing holding him back was himself. Working as a web developer for a digital advertising agency in London, Fin found himself surrounded by creative people that were not anymore talented than he was – what separated him from them is that he lacked the confidence to what he truly wanted to do
Realizing that like most artists, he was being too hard on himself, allowing fear to keep him from pursuing his dreams. Going through a divorce, not seeing his children, trying to pick up the pieces from a broken 10 year relationship and not being able to see his children. Fin found himself in a place like none he had ever been before, allowing him to do something he had never done before. This is where his street art began.
"The fear I once had was outweighed by my need to back into what I loved."
"I would love to say that I arrived at this place on my own, but it was forced upon me," Fin said, when I asked him how he came to such realizations about himself and his craft. "When you have nothing left, you have nothing to lose." It's profound how our battles beautify our strengths. The depth and honesty that can be felt through Fin's pieces is evident. There are deep emotions that can be seen through each subject that he paints, in the placements of the hands, their garments, and the gaze in their eyes. Fin admits that his critics sometimes scrutinize his work, claiming that he exploits women, and the young girls that he paints, but I disagree.
"I never explain my work to people because I don't see the point. I'd rather people get what they can out of it without me telling them what they should get out of it."
Fins fan base has grown so appreciated that his work is often tattooed on both men and women, and he believes that he is beautifying both the world and people's bodies. "It's fine to be fearful of something, just don't let it stop you from doing what you want. You will never know where something could have gotten you if you let fear stop you from doing it," Fin said, as he told me about his skydiving adventure last year and how it turned out to be a calming experience. He said that he thought he would freak out but it was one of the most liberating and eye-opening experiences of his entire life. What he learned from that experience is that when you are staring your fear right in the face, you realize that it was nothing, and that you were stronger all along. Fin is dedicated to defeating fear at all costs. Painting beautiful and meaningful bodies of work on the entire side structures of buildings take a lot of courage and Fin believes that artist should continually learn and practice their trade to become great, and never allow fear hinder you from making mistakes, because that is the only way to get better at it.
"Art is my meditation, its completely clearing your head, you're patient, and relaxed."
Through Fin's work, he beautifies the distinct features and characteristics of women, from one another, and that are often rejected, such as Mohawks, tattoos and cultural identities. Fins subjects tend to be of Asian and Latin decent. "I wanted to depict women in a strong way. The Asian culture was a good fit because they were not viewed in a favorable light, especially by western culture. They were seen as subservient and sexual, so I wanted to depict them oppositely." Despite Fin's turbulent relationship, personal experiences and pains, he consciously decided to pain women in an opposite light of what he felt. "Through uplifting the women in my art I was uplifting myself." He did not allow his hardships to negatively affect him, but he allowed them to make him, and his craft, better. In his depictions of young women he uses paint to preserve their untainted innocence, adolescence, outward strength. "I try to paint them in the best light.
"God is always showing you things, and pointing you in a direction that you are destined to go."
His transparency set him a part from a lot of artists these days. He is unafraid to paint it all on the canvas, so to speak. "I don’t think I am amazing at my craft at all," Fin states, "The fact of the matter is, I have no idea what I am doing; I have learned just by doing, making mistakes and learning from them." I believe that what separates the good from the best is fear, and the more fearless you are, the more powerful you are, in a really cool and strong way, no one can take away from you what you are not already courageous enough to give. "In four or five years time, if I am not doing something completely different I am really not an artist," Fin states, when expressing the evolution of learning and growth that we as artists should experience. I personally believe that this principle applies to all facets of our lives.
"We should constantly be changing, learning new things, evolving and developing."
What I learned from Fin is that you should not hide your scars from the world, because they are exactly what makes you beautiful. They make you who you are – they are what make you great. Not fitting in, and being like everyone else is what makes you, you. Fins believes that there is no middle ground, and that the balance is in your transparency. "Don't hide anything, or be afraid to be vulnerable."
Be on the lookout for Fin's upcoming projects as he plans to spend the first half of the year in his studio creating sellable pieces from his collection. In September, he will be painting at the home of the Miami Dolphins, Sun Life stadium, and then a collaboration for a living wall in Portland. He will be working on some screen prints preps and a possibly a designer handbag collaboration in Europe that is expected to be released in the fall.
Article Written By: Tiffani Addison
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Photos Courtesy of: Fin Dac