# Text-Based Murals Artist Phil Hansen Overcomes Irreversible Nerve Damage Through His Work By Meghan Young | Published 2014-01-09 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/phil-hansen References: [mymodernmet](http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/phil-hansen-art) & [philinthecircle](http://philinthecircle.com/) At first glance, the impressive work of Phil Hansen appears to adhere to the style of pointillism. Yet those who stop there will miss out greatly. Instead, his work is text-based. Phil Hansen takes stories of challenges and struggles as well as [words of encouragement and hope](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/good-things-come-to-those-who-wait) and turns them into [stunning large-scale portraits and murals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/art-by-squares). This fact is made even more poignant considering his own trials overcoming irreversible nerve damage. The imagery Phil Hansen portrays themselves are heartbreakingly honest even without the words that form them. He writes, "My present approach evolved out of what seemed at the time to be an artistic cul-de-sac: damage to the nerves in my forearm from the single-minded pursuit of pointillism. Driven to think of other ways to create art, I began pushing myself to experiment with new media." ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.4/10 - Popularity: 26% | Activity: 9% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Text-based Art:** Opportunity for artists to incorporate written text into visual art to convey a deeper message and emotion. - **Adaptive Art:** Innovation in the art world that uses personal challenges and limitations to inspire new forms of creativity. - **Art for Healing:** Growing trend in using art as a form of therapy or healing for those who have experienced trauma or injury. ### Who This Affects Most - **Artificial Intelligence:** Opportunities exist for AI to analyze text-based art and uncover deeper meanings and connections. - **Healthcare:** Innovation in art therapy as a means of healing in physical and mental health fields. - **Interior Design:** Growing demand for text-based murals and large-scale art to add a unique and meaningful touch to public and commercial spaces. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Statement Street Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/surreal-street-art-1.md) - [Public Art Displays](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/paul-anthony-smith.md) - [Urban Text Installations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/peace-love-joy.md) - [Paper-Made Mosaic Artwork](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/real-life-architecture-exhibition.md) - [AI-Driven Ceramic Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/texttoclay.md) - [Digital City-Inspired Art Works](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/grand-central-station.md) - [Poignant Multimedia Art Installations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/multimedia-art-installation.md) - [Culturally Artful Textile Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/devotion-exhibtion.md) - [Evolved Vibrant Graffiti Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/jan-kalb.md)