About
Sia Karamalegos is a visual artist working primarily in watercolor and charcoal. Her practice is grounded in observation — whether painting en plein air or drawing the human figure from life. With a loose, expressive style, she explores the transient beauty of light, landscape, and the human form. Working from both life and her own travel photography, she aims to capture the quiet resonance of a moment and invite viewers to see the familiar with new attention. She is currently based in Durham, North Carolina.
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Artist Statement
My work begins with observation. I am drawn to the interplay of light, shadow, and color in the natural world. Watercolor, my primary medium, is both demanding and liberating. It requires attentiveness yet insists on surrender. Its fluid unpredictability teaches me to notice more deeply and to honor impermanence. Each painting becomes a negotiation between control and chance, and an opportunity to transform observation into presence.
I work from both life and memory, often painting en plein air or drawing from live models. Immersing myself in real environments allows me to absorb not only visual details but also the atmosphere, sounds, and sensations of a place. In the studio, I refine these impressions into works that balance immediacy with structure. Through this practice, I aim to create paintings that invite viewers to pause, to rediscover familiar beauty, and to see the extraordinary in ordinary moments.
My cultural background also shapes how I see. On one side, my Greek heritage has given me a love for vibrant color, dramatic light, and the sensory richness of the Mediterranean. My family's roots on the islands of Santorini and Ikaria connect me to landscapes of volcanic cliffs, luminous seas, and a slower, intentional way of life deeply tied to the land. On the other side, my upbringing in Texas grounded me in wide desert vistas and mountain horizons like Big Bend National Park, where the immensity of the sky and clarity of light leave a lasting impression. Navigating between these different worlds has taught me to embrace contrasts: vibrant color and quiet stillness, dramatic form and subtle imperfection.
As an artist, my current goal is to deepen my technical mastery of watercolor, building a cohesive body of work that reflects both growth in skill and clarity of vision. I want my paintings to resonate as more than images, to function as invitations, moments of stillness, and reminders of the fragile, luminous beauty that surrounds us.
Awards
- 2025, 1st Place People's Choice, Watercolor Society of North Carolina Central Region Showcase
Exhibitions
- 2025, Our House, Allenton & Semans Galleries, Durham Arts Council, Durham, NC, USA
- 2025, Paint It Orange Plein Air Paint-out & Wet Paint Sale, Thomas Stevens Gallery, Hillsborough, NC, USA
- 2025, Watercolor Society of North Carolina Central Region Showcase, Imperial Centre for Arts and Sciences, Rocky Mount, NC, USA
- 2025, Durham Art Guild Member Showcase, Durham Arts Council, Durham, NC, USA
- 2025, Art Is For Everyone: Animalia, Hillsborough Arts Council Gallery, Hillsborough, NC, USA
- 2025, Figured Out, The CoLab, Raleigh, NC, USA
- 2024, O.S.D., Durham, NC, USA (solo exhibition)
- 2024, Our House, Allenton & Semans Galleries, Durham Arts Council, Durham, NC, USA
- 2024, Paint It Orange Plein Air Paint-out & Wet Paint Sale, Eno Mill Gallery, Hillsborough, NC, USA
Newsletter
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