[Felipe Echeverry](https://www.cohart.com/echeverrystudio/profile) is a Colombian artist based in New York City. His work navigates the space between abstraction and figuration, marked by expressive brushwork, vibrant color, and emotional intensity. Trained in architecture, he turned to painting as a way to explore themes of identity, displacement, and the shifting idea of home.

Echeverry’s work has been exhibited at prestigious institutions, including the Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City, Museo Tamayo, and Museo Kaluz for Arte Vivo. He has had solo exhibitions with Avant Gallery in New York and Miami, and participated in Art Basel with the gallery. Additionally, he collaborated with Saks Fifth Avenue and Good Luck dry Cleaners for a special presentation during New York Fashion Week. His work is featured in private collections across the globe, including prominent collectors.

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#### Tell us about yourself and your artistic journey


I’m Felipe Echeverry, a Colombian-born artist living in New York City. I started out as an architect in Cali Colombia, then moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina to study landscape architecture, and eventually landed in New York where painting slowly took over as my main language. Over time, it became the way I process everything: displacement, memory, rhythm, expression. My work lives somewhere between abstraction and figuration. It’s shaped by the places I’ve called home, the people I’ve met, and the cultures that move me. Movement and expression are always at the core, whether it comes from music, the energy of the city, or just the simple act of shifting from one place to another.


#### What first drew you to make art?

Art became a way to translate everything I couldn’t say with words. After moving between countries and leaving behind a career in architecture, painting gave me a way to navigate all the emotional weight that came with those changes. It was also a kind of escape, a release from old frustrations I didn’t know how else to process. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. Drawing became constant, almost obsessive, and it naturally grew into a full practice. Now it’s the way I express everything I feel. It’s not just something I do, it’s how I exist.



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#### What inspires your work, and where do you find your ideas?
What inspires me the most is people. Especially those who, for one reason or another, have had to move or start over. That experience of displacement and adaptation is something I connect with deeply. Most of my ideas come from what I’ve lived, seen, or felt. Sometimes they come through research or conversations, sometimes from a mix of both. Music plays a part too, especially salsa from Cali, but more as a way to connect with energy and emotion than as a starting point. Everything ends up going through memory, rhythm, and feeling.





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#### What does a typical day in your studio look like?

The first thing I do when I get to the studio is draw, just to let my hand and thoughts move freely. It helps me settle in and connect. Once I feel ready, I start painting, and once I’m in it, I don’t stop. I usually work on two or three paintings at the same time, so I can stay in motion without getting stuck. Music is always part of the process. Depending on the mood, I’ll go from jazz to indie rock to salsa. It all adds to the energy in the room and guides the rhythm of my work.

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#### How has your artistic voice evolved since you started creating?

A lot has changed. I began creating street art with a few friends in 2015. I did that for about a year, and then my work started to shift. It moved from figuration to more expressive figures, and now it’s leaning more into abstraction. At the same time, my brushwork and the subjects became more personal, more emotional, until I started to see myself in the paintings. Now it feels like I’ve built a language that’s mine. I can recognize my own brushstrokes and feel like I’m shaping a body of work that really speaks in my voice.



#### What role does experimentation play in your practice?

Experimenting is everything to me and my practice. I need to surprise myself to stay honest in the work. I’m always trying new materials, different formats, changing compositions, and more recently, I’ve been exploring installation and movement too. I like it when things aren’t fully planned. Sometimes what feels like a mistake ends up being the soul of the piece. I try to stay open and let the process guide me.

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#### How does your cultural background or life experiences influence your work?


All my work comes from my cultural background and personal experiences. That’s everything to me. Every painting I’ve made tells a story, about me, about someone I know, or something I’ve lived. It’s all rooted in real moments, memories, and emotions. Even when the work looks abstract, there’s always something personal underneath. 





#### What’s the most challenging part of being an artist?

I think the most challenging part is when an artist starts overthinking everything. That happens to me a lot. The self-doubt, the questioning, wondering if the work is good enough or going anywhere. It can get in the way. But I’ve learned that part of the process is learning to push through that, to let go a little, and trust that something will come out of it. The struggle is part of the work. And in those quiet moments when nothing seems to work, I just try to keep moving because that’s usually when things start to shift.





#### What do you hope people feel or think when they see your work?
What do I hope people feel? Honestly, nothing specific. I want people to look at the work and make their own interpretation. Every person sees life differently. I could be painting a Colombian landscape, and you might see an elephant, and that’s completely fine. What matters to me is that the work is being seen, that it sparks something. Whether someone loves it or hates it, it means they felt something. That’s enough for me.



#### What advice would you give to someone just starting their artistic journey?  
Trust the process and always try to be yourself. Let that show in your work. Go out there and live, love, feel deeply, make mistakes, create memories. Let all of that feed your practice. I want to see that in a painting. I want to see you. That’s what makes it meaningful.
#### What excites you most about where your art is headed?
There’s still so much ahead, and that’s what excites me. I’ve been painting for over 10 years now, and even after all this time, it still feels like I’m just getting started. I’m excited about the direction my work is taking, how it keeps evolving, and how it continues to challenge me. I believe it’s heading somewhere meaningful, and I’m committed to that. The act of creating keeps me grounded and energized, and I know there’s more to come



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Felipe Echeverry's dynamic practice merges abstraction and figuration, exploring themes of movement, color, and the human experience.

Spotlight: Felipe Echeverry on Abstraction and Figuration

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