Duvian Montoya

Duvian Montoya was born in Norwalk, Connecticut to hard working Colombian immigrants who exposed him to all aspects of the Latin Culture, including art, music, dance and food. He discovered his passion for art at an early age and after high school attended Manhattan’s, School of Visual Art where he began to explore various mediums that would influence his later work.

After S.V.A., Duvian accepted a position restoring early nineteenth century lithographs for museums, galleries and private collectors around the world.  Within a year he became head restorer at Poster Conservation Inc. and was responsible for original lithographs once touched by great artists such as Toulouse Lautrec, A.M. Cassandra, Alphonse Mucha and Andy Warhol. At the end of his three-year term with P.C.I., he traveled to Europe to study the techniques used by the old masters.  This trip marked the beginning of Duvian's departure from photo-realism into impressionism.  His main inspiration and teacher became Vincent Van Gogh. Through studying Van Gogh’s paintings, Duvian developed his own language of color and brush stroke that dominates his work today.

Soon after returning from Europe, he decided to leave the job he so loved for the emerging art scene of Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he pursued his future as a painter. Since then, Duvian’s art has taken much from the colorful Southwest landscapes, skies and culture. In New Mexico, he continued to develop his own distinct and unique voice using line, brushwork and color to establish volume, depth, energy and emotion in his work. Duvian’s current work depicts his cultural history, social issues of the day and human emotions.

His work has been exhibited throughout the country in museums, galleries and is collected by a diverse mix of art collectors.

After five years of living in New Mexico where he ended up as art director, artist and creator of the Peanut Gallery in Santa Fe, NM, Duvian is living back in the Northeast to be close to his family and old friends. He is grateful for the experience that New Mexico has given him and hopes to build on relationships made there in other art markets around the country.