Artist Bio

Born in Medellin, Colombia, Juan Restrepo was first inspired to pursue art while watching his mother paint in her studio. He saw the joy and calmness that it brought her when she was in the process of creating art, and later remembered that feeling when he himself is in need of some peace.

At the age of five, Juan moved to the United States with his mother and brother. It wasn’t long before he began to lose himself in his sketchbooks. Later, he and his mother settled in Orlando, Fl., while his brother moved back to Colombia with their father. After graduating from High School, Juan joined the National Guard and attended community college acquiring his Associate’s in Advertising and Graphic Design from Southwestern Community College. After working as a designer for a few years, Juan continued his education and finished his Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Appalachian State University.

Today, Juan’s work has evolved and switches between Impressionist portraits and Abstract illustrations using pen and ink in a pointillism technique. He draws inspiration from a wide variety of topics, from our interconnectedness to our relationship with time and space. With his Impressionist drawings, Juan encourages the viewer to remember that we are a part of this world, not above it, through the beauty of its inhabitants. With his Abstract illustrations, he explores 3D space in a 2D surface, using lines and circles to draw the viewer into a perceived larger space.