Emon Surakitkoson (b. 1985) is a Thai-born artist who lives and works in the Washington, D.C.-Baltimore area. Surakitkoson emigrated to the United States when she was nineteen years old; in the years since, she has developed a highly idiosyncratic artistic voice characterized by bold graphic lines and a restricted color palette.
As a self-taught artist who has built her painting practice into a successful career, Surakitkoson attributes her sensibility for materials and labor-intensive processes from her grandfather, who was a craftsman. At times, she has had to embrace physical and material restraints as challenges to push her work further. Her signature black and white color palette was initially born out of budgetary constraints, and due to material scarcity during the pandemic, she began making her own paintbrushes.
Raised in a culture where traditional social customs were strictly defined, in her art career these restrictions can be welcome guideposts from which to navigate: her limited color palette allows her to explore the nuance of gesture, pattern and texture without overwhelming the viewer, while handmade brushes help her achieve unique brushstrokes. Her practice is characterized by a sheer joy for creation and experimentation, making the most of available resources to produce work that is instantly recognizable and endlessly iterative.
Surakitkoson has had recent solo exhibitions at the Strathmore Mansion, Rockville, MD; and Higgins & Myers, Chapel Hill, NC, and recent group exhibitions at Asian Fusion Gallery, Washington, D.C.; Creative Alliance, Baltimore, MD; Touchstone Gallery, Washington, D.C.; Visionary Projects, New York, NY. Her work has been commission by well-known firms such as American Express, Kimpton Hotels, Hyatt Regency, Capital One, Marriott Hotels International Headquarters and Holly Hunt.
In addition to her own artist practice, Surakitkoson is actively involved in producing events and other opportunities to support emerging, local artists and makers around D.C. and Baltimore, both solo and in collaboration with curator Amy Lokoff. These have included partnerships with the Hilton brothers’ H2 Collective, Strathmore and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Her goal is to create a support system for younger artists to build the confidence that she believes is integral to finding their own creative voice.