Steven D’Hanson

Steven D’Hanson creates eye-catching abstract art that seamlessly blends modern technology with traditional drawing and painting techniques. Born in 1953 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, D’Hanson showed artistic talent from an early age, encouraged by his father who was also an artist. His first recognition came in fourth grade when a local newspaper featured his painting of President Lincoln. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Minneapolis College of Art & Design, where he explored both realism and the surrealist works of Dalí and Kandinsky.
D’Hanson has always loved pairing visual and performing arts. As percussionist for his band Artsonic, he created multimedia performances featuring live musicians, dancers, computer animation, and theatrical lighting at venues including the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. While in high school, he won a contest through the Famous Artist School, and Norman Rockwell showed his winning artwork on the Johnny Carson show.
Today, represented by Park West Gallery, D’Hanson creates vibrant cosmic flowers and abstract images using modern technology. He prints on canvas or the back of plexiglass, then hand-paints over the entire image. His work in the 1990s involved layers of plexiglass, silk screening, and hand-painted elements. D’Hanson views his abstract art as a study of harmonics, utilizing the energy of color, shape, and balance to challenge viewers in thoroughly exciting ways.