Dane Stops is a multi-disciplinary artist. The work he makes has various influences, from painting graffiti to figurative subject matter such as people and birds. Stops defines his work as having elements of realism and stylization and “enjoys accurate representation with an element of chaos”.

He works with various media, from the more traditional drawing tools of pencils and paper to acrylic and spray paint. Drawing from his surroundings and social media, Stops is interested in how context influences the way an artist explores subject matter. 

Stops grew up in Queensburgh (KwaZulu-Natal) and is now based in Durban. He graduated in 2017 with a Masters of Applied Arts from the Graphic Design Department at the Durban University of Technology, where he also works as a lecturer. In 2016 Stops had a solo exhibition titled ‘NSFW’ at the DUT Art Gallery and in 2017 a show titled ‘Powerfully Pointless’ at Priest in Johannesburg. He has also taken part in a number of group exhibitions and live art performances at various events. He has been an active contributor to the Durban Mural and Graffiti scene for over a decade. Stops was a top 40 finalist in the 2017 Sanlam portrait Awards. He completed a three month artist residency in Bremen, Germany from November 2018 to January 2019.