Hank.

 

This is Hank.  Well...Hank's work.  Well...at least I think his name is Hank.

Utrecht has a resident graffitti artist whose work can be seen all over the city.  I first noticed him about three days into my trip but, rather than a simple tag - which I kind of hate because who cares about your name and why do they want it on their property - he instead paints fun little cartoon guys.  And who doesn't love a fun little cartoon guy?

 

 

They all have the same characteristics - like the portfolio of an artist in a museum or a book, but he uses walls, overpasses and basically any flat surface to express himself.

Big head, small ears, hands (if there are any) are attached by curly cue arms, a heart painted on the figure's chest.  I feel like you can understand the mood Hank was in when he painted each one. 

And some seem unfinished, so I always imagine he was interrupted mid-work.

I would have liked to find him, but my friend from Utrecht said he hadn't seen any *new* pieces for about five years.  So, I guessed he'd probably moved on.  

Utrecht was already saturated with his work - he needed a new canvas.