About

About me

I’m Amelia Galgon, a Brooklyn painter that uses unconventional applications of watercolor to challenge societal limitations surrounding identity.

Growing up around the rich murals that depicted people and communities in Philadelphia, I was inspired from an early age to draw portraits from photos and magazines. While completing my B.S in Computer Science, I decided to get a second Bachelors in Studio Art at Lehigh University, where I leaned into exploring relationships through my painting to the community I formed there.

Inspired by both the intimate and decorative paintings by Pierre Bonnard and the twisted, expressionist style of Egon Schiele, my work incorporates impressionism and expressionism to highlight the complex forces that shape identity, particularly when it comes to gender and sexuality.

My process begins with an exploration of color, using a strong hue to envelope the entire painting and evoke an emotion from the viewer. I layer watercolor to create depth and experiment with unconventional tools, such as gel and plastic plates and palette knives, to create textures that a paintbrush doesn’t typically create. My goal is to stretch watercolor so that its fluid quality can represent a wide variety of expressions on the paper.

Through my art, I aim to present a complex narrative around identity by using color to unify the gestural marks within the figure and the impressionist environment. I invite viewers to challenge the boundaries that their identity labels hold and embrace a nuanced understanding of their identity and those of their community.

When I’m not creating, you can find me playing my guitar or strolling by the New York Bay. Follow my journey on Instagram @amelia_galgon for behind-the-scenes looks at my latest pieces

Bio

Amelia Galgon (b. Philadelphia) has lived and worked in Brooklyn since receiving her B.A in Art and B.S. in Computer Science from Lehigh University in 2017. Her work blurs the line between representation and abstraction in portraiture and the figurative art and typically depicts close friends and family as well as their own self image. Their work has been featured in exhibitions, both in-person and online, including with The Other Art Fair, I Like Your Work, 440 Gallery, WB Gallery, Curina, Tussle Projects, Visionary Art Collective, and Philadelphia Sketch Club. She received the award for Excellence in Watercolor from Philadelphia Sketch Club in their 2021 Works on Paper Juried Exhibition and has been published in I Like York Work, Maake Magazine and Create! Magazine.