Luis Colan: Peruvian Born Artist & Designer
Living in New York means interacting with a diverse group of people daily. Even standing in the train, you are placed amongst people of all talents and all backgrounds. As a company in the heart of NYC, we’d like to give an honorary mention to our in house graphic designer, Luis Colan, for his fine art talents.
On Friday, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Luis to observe his fine art practices and further discuss what makes Luis Colan‘s artwork so unique to him.
Luis’s Peruvian Background & Connecticut Education
Colan was born in Lima, Peru in 1980. After the first ten years of life, his family moved to Connecticut. It is in here in college at the Hartford Art School that he met his 3 mentors, Fred Wessel, Stephen Pat Brown, and Jeremiah Patterson. Colan say’s these artists and professors truly pushed his work further by educating him in color theory and new techniques that he would later utilize in abstraction. He especially practiced this under Pat Lipsky, a professor who allowed him to delve into abstract techniques, furthering his exploration and physicality of oil painting and colors.
After graduating from The University of Hartford Art School, Luis moved to New York City where he is currently living, working, and continuing his education and knowledge. Though he may have graduated already, Luis continues to dedicate his free time to his craft by taking classes at the Art Student League and other workshops, both local and international.
Recognition Over The Years
As someone with a profound interest in art from a young age, Colan has been distinguishing himself as an artist for as long as he can remember.
Since 2002, Colan has been a part of 17 group exhibitions, 4 solo exhibitions, a 2022 publication, five teaching workshops, and a public collection at the Salmagundi Club in NYC.
An Ever-growing Artistic Process
Not entirely realist, not entirely abstract, Luis allows his material to create the art as he goes. For more information on this “flow” process for the below piece titled “Arbaldo Azul II”, continue to read.
While Luis gathers inspiration from nature and the old masters, his art work flows from the imagination. “Arbaldo Azul II” is described as a “freestyle” monotype. Taking ink and a copper plate, the artist wipes away the ink with paper towels and cotton swabs. As he sculpts and molds the surface of the plate with ink, he talks to each stroke and reflection, letting it choose where it wants to go. When asked why he chose blue for this piece, he odes it to some of his original sketchbook drawings which are done in blue ballpoint pen.
Luis Colan’s art is imaginative, natural, and revered. His personality and value for art, indistinguishable and driven. Colan’s work inspires us daily to get back to our roots, and allow our imagination to do the rest. To stay up to date with his work, follow @onsclothing for his graphic design work, and @luiscolanart on Instagram for fine art. For more on Luis’s stylish look, check out our Navy Rider Chinos, Cream Darcy Pique Knit Shirt, and the Village Crew Neck Tee at onsclothing.com.
