In pursuit of the gesture - thought before form Seeking both excavation and architecture paint is language and silence speaks Following the shape of thought before it knows itself Notes from the periphery, written in oil and dust Where sediment joins horizon - layers creating sky memory’s strata - digging through daylight and breath and stroke are the same Tracing the edge of what can’t be held

Geoffrey
Callahan

San Francisco, California

1987.

Pittsburgh, Seoul, Leipzig, Nashville

Geoff Callahan (b. 1987) is a US-based abstract artist whose work explores the tension between structure and spontaneity, memory and erasure. With a background in fine woodworking and an evolving practice that spans painting, mixed media, and printmaking, his approach to composition is deeply tactile: each piece is built as much as it is painted.

Callahan’s work is informed by the interplay of thought and presence, often using repeated forms, layered textures, and reclaimed materials to investigate the shifting landscapes of memory. His recent paintings incorporate geometric blocks and gestural marks that act as both structure and obstruction, evoking the ways we construct and navigate meaning.

Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Callahan has exhibited in solo and group shows across the country, including a recent solo exhibition at the MMclay Gallery in San Francisco. Also, his creative practice extends beyond the studio: he has organized community-driven art events, collaborated across disciplines, and developed spaces for artistic exchange. He is currently fostering an online collaborative platform called Edgework.

His work has been described as a meditation on perception and permanence, where the history of the material is as integral as the paint applied to it. Whether working on canvas, found objects, or large-scale installations, Callahan’s process reflects a search for equilibrium, balancing precision with raw intuition, the seen with the hidden.

His paintings are held in private collections and continue to evolve as he experiments with new surfaces, techniques, and concepts.

Geoffrey Callahan

Geoffrey
Callahan