Ross
Collado

Ross Collado is a Seattle-based visual artist whose practice centers on abstract expressionism as a means to explore identity, memory, and emotional transformation. For Ross, making art is not therapeutic; it is a series of intense moments. “It’s like I am walking through a creative tunnel of exploding colors and ideas waiting to come to life with each brushstroke.”

Born and raised in the Philippines, where expressing emotions is often considered a sign of weakness—especially for men—his inspiration is primarily driven by the authenticity of his feelings, unfiltered and organic.

He seeks to capture the essence of nature’s complexity: its tranquil serenity as well as its turbulent intensity. He delves deep into the wellspring of his own experiences, channeling joy, sorrow, passion, and introspection onto the canvas.

Whether through vibrant landscapes that pulse with life or abstract forms that reflect the depths of the human psyche, his artworks serve as a testament to the power of authenticity and the enduring connection between nature and emotion. They invite viewers to embark on an inward journey, exploring the depths of their own souls and discovering the profound beauty that lies within.

The paintings work through layering: paint, collage fragments, graphite, painted-over passages. Nothing is settled for long. What you see in a Collado canvas is not the finished surface so much as the evidence of revision — decisions made, reconsidered, partially obscured, allowed to show through. This is not an accident of process. It is the point. The titles — It Gets Better, It Always Does; You Belong Here Now; Feelings Don't Die — name emotional states with a directness that the paintings then refuse to illustrate. The paint doesn't show you what those words mean. It shows you the difficulty of holding them.

His first serious painting, Nightfall, was made while tear gas drifted through the neighborhood outside. The collector who commissioned it later gifted it back, saying his soul seemed trapped in it. By 2023 he had mounted solo exhibitions at Red Sky Gallery in Lake Forest Park, Studio 103 in Pioneer Square, and Gallery Axis in Pioneer Square. His work was selected for the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art Spotlight exhibition — chosen from approximately 3,400 submissions — and in December 2024 he joined the Portland Art Museum Rental Sales Gallery. The works in Additions are among the largest he has shown in the Pacific Northwest. Collado joins the JG Art Gallery + Events permanent roster with this exhibition.

"It's like I am walking through a creative tunnel of exploding colors and ideas waiting to come to life through a brush stroke. Making art is not therapeutic — it's a series of intense moments."