Troy Dugas

Troy Dugas is an artist living and working in Lafayette, Louisiana. He received a BFA from the University of Louisiana (1994) and an MFA from Pratt Institute in New York (1998). His work is in several public collections across the country, including the Frederick R. Weisman Foundation in Los Angeles, the New Orleans Museum of Art, and the West Collection in Pennsylvania. He has received awards from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, the Louisiana Division of the Arts, and completed a residency at the McColl Center for Art and Innovation in North Carolina. Over the last 25 years, his work has progressed from meticulous collages made from unused product labels, to mixed-media acrylic collages, to more recent fiber-based artworks. Troy is represented by the Arthur Roger Gallery in New Orleans.


Artist Statement

Animal forms surface through dense textures of looping fabric strips, evoking the warmth, symbolism, and storytelling traditions of folk art. These silent, symbolic, and softly powerful creatures embody a precarious balance between strength and vulnerability, and a subtle tension between innocent naïveté and our complex relationship to nature, mortality, and the ethereal. Drawing on motifs rooted in the history of textiles, indigenous art, and domestic ritual, I craft tactile images that feel both timeless and deeply personal. Through research, collecting, and an intensive studio practice, my work becomes a meditative pursuit of connectedness and self-discovery—an ongoing conversation between hand, material, and meaning.


https://www.troydugas.com