Darren Henderson. Melbourne. Artist, designer, maker of things.
Dirtygood started in 2000 with a simple idea — that opposites aren't opposites at all. What's dirty is good. What's dark is light. What's wrong might just be right. That tension is where the interesting stuff lives, and it's been the engine behind everything since.
Before the art took over, there were years in advertising — Saatchi & Saatchi and The Principals in London, Y&R in Melbourne. Good training for knowing when something works and when it doesn't. That commercial background led to work with adidas Australia and South East Asia, Stella McCartney, Salomon, Russell Athletic, Foster's Group, Melbourne Water, Brown Family Wine, Moonlight Cinema and Devils Corner Tasmania among others — and the list kept growing. Alongside the studio work, years of freelancing took him through the doors of some of the world's best agencies and creative studios — from London to Melbourne and back again.
The work spans paintings, murals, installations and design. Owls, characters, colour, architecture — whatever the brief demands or the wall allows. Early group shows in Fitzroy led to solo exhibitions in the UK and Australia, artist residencies in Croatia, Sumatra and Bali, a Basscoast Shire Council commission at Cape Woolamai, and a sculpture at the Australian Open. In 2026 he's back with Outré Gallery's Locals series — a running survey of Australian artists.
Travel features heavily. So do mates. So does fun…maybe too much. So does surf.
Get in touch if you want to talk about a project, a wall, a commission or just a coffee.