JP Colin is a multidisciplinary visual artist whose life and work are shaped by a rich tapestry of personal history, cultural complexity, and hard-won resilience. Born in 1960 in West Covina, California, and raised in nearby La Puente—a working-class community largely composed of immigrants from Mexico and Central America—Colin grew up amid the realities of poverty, systemic neglect, gang violence, and widespread social disenfranchisement.
After an unfocused academic journey in his youth, Colin’s life took a pivotal turn in 1985 when he joined the United States Air Force. He trained as a Cryptolinguistic Specialist/Analyst and served at the National Security Agency, where he performed highly classified work. Following his honorable discharge in 1989, he continued his military service for three years in the California Air National Guard, eventually confronting the psychological toll of his earlier intelligence work. Colin was later diagnosed with severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a condition compounded by decades of navigating life alongside a spouse living with an undiagnosed severe mental illness.
Following years of personal struggle and eventual treatment, Colin chose to return to education as a means of healing and reinvention. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art from New Mexico State University in 2023, and was subsequently accepted into the prestigious Master of Arts program in Ceramics and Glass at the Royal College of Art in London, graduating in 2024.
Today, JP Colin lives and works in rural Portugal with his spouse of 39 years. His practice is deeply informed by a lifetime of unique, often difficult experiences, which he channels into work that is emotionally raw, spiritually resonant, and conceptually expansive. Drawing from a diverse set of media and influences—including Dada, Expressionism, and Surrealism—Colin creates art that challenges conventional boundaries and seeks to illuminate the complexity of human existence.
Alongside his studio practice, Colin also operates an arts-related business devoted to fostering creative exploration, personal expression, and mindful engagement with the world.
©2025 JP Colin Design