About
Daniel Colón is a New York-based visual artist and illustrator specializing in traditional oil painting. His paintings are grounded in close observation and structured through a deep engagement with light, form, and atmosphere. Working primarily in oil, he draws on classical techniques to articulate modern subjects—interiors, cityscapes, and figures that hold tension between clarity and ambiguity.
Though rooted in realism, his work is less about replication and more about distillation: selecting what’s essential to reveal a psychological or emotional undercurrent. Whether painting a room, a face, or a skyline, he’s drawn to quiet moments that suggest narrative without insisting on one. Each painting is precise, yet open—anchored in the visible world, while attentive to what lies beneath it.
Daniel's formal training includes studying painting at The Art Students League of New York and the Maryland Institute College of Art, complemented by art history studies at Hunter College. He has collaborated with notable clients such as Apple, National Geographic, Facebook, and Viacom and is represented by Boards in Motion and Wayart for his commercial projects. Daniel currently teaches at the New York School of the Arts.
2003-2007 Hunter College, CUNY, Art History
2003-2007 The Art Students League of New York, NY,
2003-2004 The National Academy of Design, NY
2001-2002 Maryland Institute College of Art, MD, Painting
Solo Exhibitions
2024 Summer show, Beacon Art Shortwave Gallery, Stone Harbor, NJ
2021 “Shore Sights,” Beacon Art Shortwave Gallery, Stone Harbor, NJ
2012 "Summer Sketches," The Clock Bar, New York, NY
2008 "Landscapes: Paintings from Abroad" Studio Eve, New York, NY
Selected Group Exhibitions
2019 South Bronx Indepedent Artists Coalition, Hell Gate Arts, Bronx, NY
2008 Small Works Group Show, Galeria Foro, San Juan, PR
2004 End Year Exhibition, National Academy of Design
2003 National Academy Students, Cork Gallery, Lincoln Center, NY
2003 Mid Year Student Exhibition, National Academy of Design, NY
2003 "What's Around Us", Sheppard Art Gallery, Ellicott City, MD
2002 "What We Eat", Sheppard Art Gallery, Ellicott City, MD
Honors & Awards
2005 Xavier Gonzalez & Ethel Edwards Travel Grant, Art Student's League, NY
2003 First Prize in Figure Painting, National Academy of Design, NY
2004 Second Prize in Painting, National Academy of Design, NY
2004 Honorable Mention, Art Student’s League, NY
2004 Honorable Mention, Strathmore Student Artist Competition
2004 Robert E. Wright Foundation Scholarship, National Academy of Design,NY
2003 Lucrezia Bori Scholarship, National Academy of Design, NY