Colin Doherty, born in 1969 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, is a contemporary painter and installation artist currently based in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. Working primarily in oil paintings on linen, canvas, and board, Doherty is recognized for his distinctive figurative language. His work often incorporates organic materials, such as earth elements, which he grinds into the oil paint, adding a unique texture and depth. He is best known for creating haunting landscapes filled with ghostly figures, using line, shape, and vivid color to produce compositions that evoke both intimacy and distance, drawing viewers into a dynamic exploration of space.
Doherty’s work delves deeply into the human condition, exploring themes of past memories and dreamlike identities that resonate universally. His paintings reflect a process of engagement, denial, and acceptance, revealing mirrors of the human journey. Central to his practice is the tension between organized chaos and control, as his compositions balance vivid saturated colors with figurative conflict. His Ghosts series (2016) explored past romantic relationships, marking a pivotal moment in his artistic development. This series expanded his exploration of human shape within large-scale landscape paintings. Additionally, his work Maria was a key piece in the revolving exhibition With Liberty and Justice for Some (2017-2019), where he and other established artists honored immigrants in response to political challenges, celebrating their invaluable contributions to American society.
Doherty’s work has been featured in numerous notable exhibitions and is held in several important collections. He has exhibited at institutions such as Walter Maciel Gallery in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Arts Commission, Berkeley Art Center, and the Children’s Museum of the Arts in New York. His exhibitions include The Ghosts at Walter Maciel Gallery, Replacing Coast at the same gallery, and The Edifice in Front of Us at The Living Arts and Science Gallery in Lexington, Kentucky. His work is part of permanent collections at the 21C Museum Hotels and the Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson Collection in Louisville, Kentucky, and is collected by various private collectors. Doherty was awarded the Great Meadows Foundation Grant (2023) with visitation to Berlin Art Week in Germany, and extended art events in Copenhagen, Denmark.
CV
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 1969
Lives and works in Lexington, Kentucky, USA
Education:
BA English & Creative Writing, The University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 1992
Selected solo exhibitions:
2025, Phantom Frontiers, Moremen Gallery, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
2016, The Ghosts, Walter Maciel Gallery, Los Angeles, California, USA
2014, The Edifice in Front of Us, The Living Arts and Science Center, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
2013, From Sota and Noli, Bluegrass Trust Conservancy Gallery, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
2012, Replacing Coast, Walter Maciel Gallery, Lost Angeles, California, USA
Selected group exhibitions:
2024, Faces, Places, Traces, Walter Maciel Gallery, Los Angeles, California, USA
2021, Paper Cuts, Walter Maciel Gallery, Los Angeles, California, USA
2021, In the Groove: Persistence and Endurance, Walter Maciel Gallery, Los Angeles, California, USA
2019, Plant Life, Walter Maciel Gallery, Los Angeles, California, USA
2019, Bluegrass Transplants, The Lexington Art League, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
2018, Go Figure, Walter Maciel Gallery, Los Angeles, California, USA
2017, 21C Museum Hotels, 10th Floor Entirety Paintings, 21C Museum Hotel, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
2017, Smashbox Studios Installations 2017, Smashbox Studios, Los Angeles, California, USA
2017, With Liberty and Justice for Some, Walter Maciel Gallery, Los Angeles, California, USA
2017, With Liberty and Justice for Some, San Francisco Arts Commission Main Gallery, San Francisco, California, USA
2017, With Liberty and Justice for Some, Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, California, USA
2017, With Liberty and Justice for Some, Children’s Museum of the Arts, New York, New York, USA
2016, A Star Is Born, Walter Maciel Gallery, Los Angeles, California, USA
2016, Smashbox Studios Installations 2016, Smashbox Studios, Los Angeles, California, USA
2015, Currents, The Lexington Art League, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
2015, Smashbox Studios Installations 2015, Smashbox Studios, Los Angeles, California, USA
2014, Illusions of a Perfect Utopia, Walter Maciel Gallery, Los Angeles, California, USA
2011, Size Matters, Walter Maciel Gallery, Los Angeles, California, USA
2011, Mar Vista Views, Grandview Arts Studios, Los Angeles, California, USA
Selected collections:
21C Museum Hotels, Permanent Collection, USA
Laura Lee Brown & Steve Wilson, personal collection, USA
Colin Doherty is collected by private collections in the United States and Canada
Grants:
2023, Great Meadows Foundation Artist Grant for Study in Berlin and Copenhagen, Great Meadows Foundation, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Professional contributions and related experience:
2009-2025, Commercial Film Director, N. America, colindirects.com, Represented by Lyon MGMT, Minneapolis, MN USA
2017-2025, LexArts, Board Member and prior Development Board Chair, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
Gallery representation:
Walter Maciel Gallery
2642 S. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA USA
waltermacielgallery.com / info@waltermacielgallery.com / 310-839-1840
Contact details:
Colin Doherty
colindoherty.org / colindoherty@icloud.com
Lexington, Kentucky USA