Dirk Yates was born & raised in beautiful Palm Springs California, and has been a Mid Century Modern, Polynesian Pop & Tiki enthusiast since an early age. Living and breathing the rich tiki and lounge culture of Palm Springs his entire life, Dirk’s artwork reflects this style. He spent many dinners with family and friends at long since gone tiki landmarks like Don the Beachcomber and Aloha Jhoe’s. When his passion for art surfaced, it was only natural that this culture would be his inspiration.

A journey of art began. Moving across the country he developed a career as a corporate graphic designer, layout artist, illustrator and art director for over 19 years. Dirk has created artwork nationwide for Jaguar, United Parcel Service, FedEx, US News, 3M, SC Johnson and many more. In his leisure time, he researched tiki & tropical subjects and settings. After years of success in the corporate arena, Dirk set his sights back home to the sunny southern California Desert. For most of his career, Dirk, has been mentored by the world renowned pastel & oil artist James Jensen. During this period his Polynesian Pop style really took shape.

Known for his warm welcomes and Aloha spirit, Dirk is often found, in one of his trademark Hawaiian shirts, hosting friends while he works in his Palm Springs, California studio.