Hans Nelson has had interest in art from a young age. He took two years of AP Art in highschool, and attended the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. As a student, Hans exhibited numerous times within MIAD for various student exhibitions, as well as a student exhibition at the Milwaukee Art Museum. 

Since graduation, Hans has struggled to find his place as an artist, exploring many different mediums such as animation, 3D computer modelling, comic illustration, and pixel art. In late 2016, Hans began exploring linocutting, and found that he enjoyed the medium very much. In early 2018, Hans attended a woodcutting class at the Art Garage led by local artist Don Krumpos. Hans saw woodcutting as an opportunity to explore larger prints, with a different level of detail than with linocuts. He still works with both linoleum and wood, and understands that each material has its merits. 

Hans designs prints and images where the subject is confined completely within the canvas, sometimes cramped or forced within the space – he struggles daily with anxiety and clinical depression, and often feels confined within his mental and physical spaces. When he chooses an animal as a subject, he does a good deal of research – specific species, distribution, anatomy – and enjoys the challenge of retaining a deal of accuracy while fitting the subject into the space in a visually appealing way.