Dane Hagen is a self-taught portrait painter. The artist depicts friends, bandmates, spaces, and objects from the world around him, a practice born from his curiosity and inquisitiveness. His intimate portraits act as portals to the universe, with each painting exploring the idea of seeing and being seen. Hagen’s portraits aim to foster community, hospitality, and curiosity by expanding the realm of the known.

Hagen primarily works in oil painting, promoting the medium’s exceptional ability to portray a likeness. Traditionally working in a single-session alla prima method, his paintings convey personality, intimacy, and emotion through vibrant color and visible texture. By featuring seemingly mundane and ordinary portraits, postures, and scenes, the artist celebrates the intimate beauty that can be found in the everyday. His work has been included in exhibitions at My Pet Ram and O’Flaherty’s. The artist lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.