At first glance, it’s a haunting painting of Top Withens, capturing the bleak beauty of Haworth Moor. But look closely and the words “Emily Woz Here” are spray-painted on the side of the ramshackle old house.

The painting, by Craig Everett, captures the fusion of local heritage and contemporary urban art that characterises the Bradford artist’s work.

The self-styled ‘Bradford Banksy’ specialises in urban and pop art; with his work veering from acrylic paintings to 3D portraits created from layers of materials.

A Clockwork Orange-inspired cartoon man, stark urban landscapes peppered with tower blocks and menacing dogs, and a striking portrait of Howard Marks made from thousands of tiny paper balls are among the images created by Craig which cover the walls of his gallery, Rogue, in Greengates.

Taking pride of place is a huge ‘work-in-progress’ 3D image of David Hockney made from old copies of the Telegraph & Argus Craig has artwork in private collections worldwide and exhibits internationally, most recently at the Contraband exhibition in Los Angeles, featuring some of the world’s biggest urban artists, but he’s determined to make pop art more accessible in Bradford.

This Saturday he’s holding an open day at Rogue, where his work is displayed alongside paintings and sculptures by other artists, some local and some nationally renowned. Original paintings and prints are on sale, and the gallery also offers a picture-framing service.

“Urban art is big in London, New York, Tokyo and other big cities but it hasn’t really made its mark in Yorkshire. I think people are put off by the term ‘urban’ or ‘pop’ art because they just think of modern art and they don’t understand it,” says Craig, who works under the name Rourke Vandal.

“But the art world has moved on. When I see the art my kids, who are eight and 12, and their mates are creating, it’s urban-style art, it comes from the music and the clothes they’re into. Schools are still teaching the same old techniques, but art should be evolving, not stuck in the past.”

Craig credits graffiti artist Banksy with raising the profile of urban art. “He’s made it more mainstream, but in terms of our perception of art there’s a long way to go,” says Craig. “Young people won’t go to art galleries because they think they’re full of paintings of rural landscapes or still life. That’s of no interest to a 15-year-old boy. People think art galleries aren’t for them, they find them intimidating. But art should be something we can all relate to.

“Collectors of my work range in age from 13 to 76. This kind of art speaks to them.”

Self-taught, with no formal qualifications, Craig experiments with different styles and materials. Much of his work is inspired by people and places from his youth on Thorpe Edge estate in the 1970s and 1980s. “It was all urban landscapes – blocks of flats, factory chimneys, Doc Martens, skateboards. You were a punk, a skinhead or a mod,” he says.

He makes use of household waste – newspapers, tin cans, bits of plastic – to create multi-layered images. The Hockney portrait is made from layers of newspaper cuttings stuck together and moulded, creating a built-up, sculpted effect.

“Hockney is an inspiration, he never stops experimenting,” says Craig. “I experiment with different materials, using bits and pieces to create something. It’s about pushing boundaries, I can’t stick to the same format.”

Hanging next to vibrant pop art is a haunting painting of an old man, his wrinkled face and grey beard and wisps of hair beautifully detailed, in an original Victorian gilt frame. Craig drew on the styles of 17th century Dutch artists Rembrandt and Jan Lievens, bringing his own brushstrokes to two of their portrait paintings.

“I’d been using different techniques and was itching to just paint again,” he says.

He’s influenced by 1960s pop art and abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock. Craig used Pollock’s drip-painting technique to create a haunting image of a pale young face, created entirely from flicking paint onto canvas.

Craig’s work was recently exhibited in Los Angeles, after he was contacted by a gallery owner who collects his work. “There were some big names in the exhibition, it helped to get me known over there,” says Craig. “I’m planning other shows now in New York and Miami, and I’ve got my first solo show in London next year.”

Craig works in a little studio in his gallery. “With the pop art, I compose it on a computer then create a ‘mess’ as I go along,” he says. “It’s like an abstract painting but I use symbols and logos; they’re busy but then life’s busy. We’re bombarded with logos in life. The paint does most of the work,” he adds. “Everything’s an experiment.”

The layered, 3D paintings evoke a tactile response; you want to reach out and touch them.

With other paintings, the closer you look, the more you see. An image of a deer, standing tall and strong, is set against a jumbled montage of newspaper headlines about animal welfare. The deer’s face is a skull and the title is ‘Deer Departed’.

Other work on display is by artists Pete McKee, David Rusbatch, Dennis Wood and Geoff Shackleton, whose sculptures are made from reclaimed Yorkshire mill stone.

Craig would like to showcase more local artists. “It’s hard to get this kind of work showcased in Bradford, believe me I’ve tried,” he says. “I’d like to get artists in here, art students, anyone who wants to come along.

“This is art about real life, that’s what inspires me.”

Rogue is on the first floor of 907-909 Harrogate Road, Greengates, open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am-4pm. Saturday’s open day runs from 10am-4pm. Call 07917 773989 or visit vandalart.co.uk or facebook.com/roguegallerybradford.