Dan Baldwin’s art is a collision of contradictions - innocence and violence, religion and rebellion, nature and decay. His work is deeply symbolic, drawing viewers into a psychological space where personal and collective narratives intertwine.
We came to Dan Baldwin’s work through our connection with CCA Galleries, who print and sell his editions. Naturally, once we saw his work on the cover Paolo Nutini’s Caustic Love album, we had to bring it to our collectors.
BIOG
BORN IN MANCHESTER IN 1972
Baldwin now lives and works in West Sussex, UK
FROM THE LATE 1980s
Baldwin pursued his creative inclinations academically, studying at Maidstone College of Art and Eastbourne College of Art and Design before receiving his BA in Communication Media from the Kent Institute of Art and Design. His early work already hinted at the symbolic and layered approach that would define his career.
I bring into a work layers from many sources. I trained in illustration for five years, not fine art, but I was more inspired by fine artists.
IN THE EARLY 2000s
Exhibitions in the UK and internationally brought attention to his multi-layered silkscreen prints and mixed-media paintings. His work juxtaposed innocence and decay, often incorporating recurring motifs like swallows, skulls, crucifixes, and cartoon figures.
2005 BROUGHT NATIONAL EXPOSURE
Baldwin appeared on the British version of The Apprentice, bringing his work to a broader audience and cementing his place in the contemporary British art scene.
IN 2014
Baldwin was commissioned to create the inner panel artwork for Paolo Nutini’s critically acclaimed album Caustic Love. The album’s title, a contradiction in itself, aligned perfectly with Baldwin’s aesthetic of visual paradox and emotional tension. His contribution - an evocative, symbolic piece - complemented the album’s themes of passion, vulnerability, and raw soul.
THROUGHOUT THE 2010s AND 2020s
International Recognition for Baldwin’s work continued to grow, as he exhibited in Paris, New York, Los Angeles, London, Newcastle, and Brighton, often alongside artists like Banksy, Julian Opie, and Peter Blake. His work entered the permanent collections of the Groucho Club and Café Royal, as well as the private collections of Sir Elton John, Sheperd Fairey, Sir Peter Jones, Sir Ronald Cohen, Gilbert & George, Chris Packham, Mary Portas, Nick Frost, Patsy Palmer, Jo Whiley, Damien Hirst, Sir Ronald Cohen, and members of Oasis and The Prodigy.
I think we are closer to being mass consumed by art than we ever have been. When I was a student people didn’t know about Warhol or popular art. Now you get young kids into art. I have a lot of younger fans, that’s the result of Banksy, or Tate Modern, Hirst and Hewlett.
His aesthetic is instantly recognizable: vibrant, chaotic, and emotionally charged.
