About + Bio + CV
Bio
Supriya Kharod is a contemporary watercolor artist who paints both semi-abstract and figurative works. She worked as an art director (B.A. in Advertising from Southern Methodist University), left ad agency life to pursue freelance graphic design, and ultimately, discovered her love for painting. Primarily self-taught, she now works exclusively in watercolor and has been painting professionally and exhibiting her art in local galleries and shows since 2017. Supriya is influenced by Modernist methodologies, which pushed the boundaries of realism and impressionism, and sometimes ventured into abstraction. With her Contemporary Color Field paintings, she leans into her graphic design background, resulting in her paintings having a highly-stylized vibe. By harmonizing unusual colors, developing shapes, and flattening perspective, she pushes traditional watercolor norms. Her Contemporary Impressionist work is equally colorful, and it pulls the viewer into a painting and engages them.
In 2021, Supriya published her first book Reflections on Art, Life, and Italy, which features her paintings and sketches of Italy, along with reflections on her art process and on life. In addition to her painting, Supriya is a second-degree black belt in taekwondo, a mother of three, serves on the City of Sunset Valley’s Arts Commission, and is a member of various art societies. Her Austin-themed prints are carried by Prima Dora and Prima Dora, Georgetown.
CV (with complete exhibition list) ︎︎︎
About: Artist Statement
I strive to depict the beautiful friendship between water and color.My work is contemporary and expressive, pushing the boundaries of watercolor norms. When I paint more traditionally, it is still in an impressionstic style that showcases bright colors and the granulating quality that is unique to the medium of watercolor.
Unlike oil and acrylic, which are opaque, controllable, and have a heavy look, watercolor is transparent, unpredictable, and light. Watercolor pigments float in water and eventually settle where they wish, creating the beautiful granulation and ethereal quality that is unique to the medium. A watercolor painter strives to “capture the light”—the painting’s life breath–and embrace uncertainty, making journey enjoyable.
My goals as an artist are:
1. to remove watercolor’s underdog stigma in the art world as being considered “too easy” or “for kids” (although most oil and acrylic painters say it is too difficult for them!)
2. to stretch and explore the potential of the medium
3. to share the joy watercolor brings to me, with my audiences