Hans Frans Mulleners (b. 1994) is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist based in Haarlem, the Netherlands. Hans Frans’ journey as a painter grew out of his background as a trained woodworker and furniture designer. It began when he started applying paint to scrap wood in his workshop, intuitively allowing the grain and texture of the wood to shape the narrative. This tactile, experimental approach remains at the core of his practice today guiding both material choices and compositional decisions.

He primarily works with reclaimed wood, embracing its inherent qualities – the grain, warped surfaces and textures – as starting points for form and color. Spontaneous gestures intertwine with techniques drawn from centuries-old Northern Renaissance panel painting traditions, including tempera, true gesso, oil paints and natural pigments which he concoct and mix himself. His process also incorporates the history of carpentry through methods such as ebonizing, staining and carving the wood.

Thematically, his work explores human interaction, often inspired by personal memories or amalgamations of places he has visited, seen or imagined.
From the quaint charm of an old fishing village on the Catalan coast, in Alt Empordà to the canals and bustling bars of Amsterdam’s old harbor districts. Each setting evokes a distinct atmosphere and his paintings offer viewers an intimate window into his subjective reality with dream-like narratives.