Courtney Colgan (b.1988 Linden, NJ; lives in Los Angeles, CA) is a contemporary artist whose work explores a state of emergence through light, color and materiality. Colgan grew up taking the train to New York City, closely observing the wetlands and swamps. The urban landscape was alluring in its paradoxical state. She took visual note of the synthetic colors seen in the water, harsh chemical smells, and overall muck. Stillness and motion, nature and industry, the power of opposites in a condensed space.
In 2015 Colgan moved to Los Angeles, California and immediately noted a similar paradox in the coastal landscape. In the studio Colgan observes how the paint sits into or on top of the material and closely notes the moment something begins to emerge. In some works color boldly pushes forward out of canvas. While in other works color seeps in from the edges and slowly disapates across the surface. Colgan keeps the work in a state of emergence offering a viewer experience that transcends the sensorial.
Colgan continues her exploration of light, space and materials through the western landscape. Her work has been exhibited throughout Southern California. Outside the studio Colgan holds a 10+ year career in Fine Art Services and is an avid animal rights advocate.
Colgan earned a BFA in Painting with a minor in Art History from Pratt Institute in 2010, and an MFA from Claremont Graduate University in 2026.
