Dan Colen was born in 1979 in New Jersey; he lives and works in New York City.

Over the years, Colen’s practice explored various styles and subjects, ranging from abstract mixed-media projects to figurative painting, to performance art. Throughout these explorations, Colen has maintained a steadfast commitment to interrogating and reshaping the semiotic nature of contemporaneity. His work frequently explores the capacity of artworks to convey symbols and meanings, and delves into the societal significance of mass media and subcultural language.

In recent years, Colen’s focus has expanded to encompass social cohesion and community engagement projects. In 2011, he founded Sky High Farm, a non-profit active on the local territory.

Colen’s work is part of the collections of Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY; The Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Oslo; Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Sweden; Newport Street Gallery, London, England; The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY; among others.