08 Jul Felipe Bermúdez Durana: Artist Member of the Month
Every month, we're proud to show off an ACP Member-Artist. This month, enjoy getting to know painter Felipe Bermúdez Durana.
Tell us about yourself and your art!
I’m an architect and self-taught artist from Colombia living in Pennington, NJ. I moved away from computer-aided design and went back to the drafting board. For the past few years, I’ve devoted myself to geometric abstraction, working with ink, acrylic, and watercolor. I’m fascinated by seeing how grids crossed by diagonals can generate patterns. At first, I was only experimenting with black and white, but now I’m trying to understand how color works, especially with bold primaries.
How did you become an artist/first get into art?
I have always drawn and painted. This ability led me to architecture, a profession I’m still very passionate about. Shortly after graduating, I worked at Doris Salcedo’s studio in one of her large-scale works. After this, I led a small and successful architecture practice. I kept drawing and making small paintings here and there. We moved to the US in 2020, right before the pandemic began. In 2023, I stumbled upon an outdoor art show in Philly and realized I could devote myself full-time. So I started drawing and painting with great intensity, bought a tent, and started applying to shows.
What’s inspiring you these days?
When I started showing my work, a lot of people pointed out a parallel between my work and quilting patterns, which led me to start looking into this great American tradition. Right now, I’m working on what will be an 8´x 8´ design that will be hung on the side of a barn as part of the Barn Quilt Trail of Central Jersey.. Inspired by coastal towns, I’ve done a few drawings using the maritime alphabet and looking at how, when the different flags are placed next to each other, random forms arise.
Who are some of your favorite artists?
Bridget Riley, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Sol LeWit, Carmen Herrera, Omar Rayo.
Where can people find out more about you?
All of my links are here.