Meet Angry Dan: Using Colour And Words To Represent Culture In Walthamstow
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Angry Dan’s Amazing World Of Limericks
Angry Dan is the latest London-based artist to take over the unique space at 1B Window Gallery, Walthamstow. Dan centres his work on modern life and culture, representing his work and words through brightly coloured public murals – as well as smaller print editions. His work carries a sense of humour and playfulness, all whilst making the viewer stop in their tracks and think, question and ponder.
Angry Dan has exhibited many times, with many of his murals still around London today. In light of his success, Dan’s also been featured in articles for the BBC, Secret London and more.
As his great stint at the 1B Window Gallery comes to close, we popped down to find out more about the artist and his inspiration behind the fantastic interactive projective that is Angry Dan’s Amazing World Of Limericks.
Who is Angry Dan?
My names Dan and I make art under the name Angry Dan. I’m a writer of limericks and I illustrate them, often as big colourful murals all over the place, with quite a few in Walthamstow.
What is Angry Dan’s Amazing World Of Limericks about?
My main part of the exhibition is this wall of my illustrated limericks, which is essentially a big collection of stuff I’ve been writing and drawing for the last 6 or 7 years. The other really enticing draw of the exhibition is the limerick writing competition which is open to all ages and everyone is invited to enter.
The first prize will be an illustrated version of the winning limerick, and lots of the entries will be presented in the gallery afterwards – so everyone gets their time in the window.
How important is it to include community in your practice?
Walthamstow and the Waltham Forest area has had a massive influence on the work I’m doing. The reason being that when I was first moved here, I was making music, not painting at all. All of the murals up in the local area caught my attention and it was a big eye opener to the possibilities of getting this kind of colourful art seen by a lot of people.
The area has a certain kind of attitude and personality because of the people who have lived here for a long time and the types of people who are still moving here. My work has a certain appeal to them; it’s a happy accident and I’m very grateful for it.
How has living in such a culturally vibrant area influenced your work?
It’s great, most people are so positive about creative work of any sort of nature, no one really questions the value of it. I’m massively inspired by the town – one of the main works from the show is the Walthamstow illustrated map. It took a long time to do, probably about a month’s worth of steady work to draw but it was a real labour of love, and fully inspired by the town and the people in it.
What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?
Get obsessed and fall in love with the process. You have to enjoy what you do day to day, otherwise there’s no point in doing it. So get obsessed and trust your own taste.
What is one thing you’d like people to take away from this project?
If we’re focusing on the illustrated limericks; I want people to feel the same enthusiasm for at least some of these topics, subjects or people that I do. That’s it really, an enthusiasm for culture, history, and the trials and tribulations of everyday life.
Where to find Angry Dan:
Instagram:www.instagram.com/angrydan/
Website: www.angrydan.com/
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