JP Colin is a hyperdisciplinary artist whose work is shaped by cultural complexity and hard-won resilience. Born in 1960 in West Covina, California, and raised in working-class La Puente, Colin grew up amid poverty, systemic neglect, and gang violence.

After an unfocused youth, Colin enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1985, training as a Cryptolinguistic Specialist/Analyst for the National Security Agency. Following his 1989 honorable discharge and three years in the California Air National Guard, he confronted the psychological toll of his intelligence work. He was later diagnosed with severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a condition compounded by decades of navigating life alongside a spouse with an undiagnosed severe mental illness.

Following years of personal struggle and eventual treatment, Colin returned to education as a path to regaining autonomy over his life. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art from New Mexico State University in 2023, followed by a Master of Arts in Ceramics and Glass from the Royal College of Art in London in 2024.

Today, Colin lives and works in rural Portugal with his spouse of 40 years. Drawing from influences including Dada, Expressionism, and Surrealism, his practice channels a lifetime of difficult experiences into emotionally raw, conceptually expansive art that seeks to illuminate the complexity of human existence. Alongside his studio practice, Colin operates an arts outreach devoted to fostering creative exploration and mindful engagement.