About
Sia Karamalegos is a visual artist based in Durham, North Carolina, working primarily in watercolor, mixed media, and linocut printmaking. Her work is inspired by moments that make her stop and look a little longer, from plein air landscapes and urban sketching to still lifes and expressive figure studies. Through observation, she explores light, color, and the beauty of everyday life, inviting others to pause, notice, and reconnect with the world around them. Sia serves on the Board of Directors for the Watercolor Society of North Carolina and organizes Durham Plein Air.
You can follow her on Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook, sign up for her newsletter below, and view her newsletter archive online.
Artist Statement
My paintings begin with paying attention.
I work from life, memory, sketches, and photographs. Spending time in a place allows me to absorb more than visual information alone, using all of my senses in that moment to feel more connected to a place and the people there. In the studio, I build from those observations through editing, layering, and reinterpretation.
Working primarily in watercolor, I use the medium's fluidity to capture light and the moments that feel immediate and alive. Watercolor requires both structure and responsiveness; I guide it, but I also respond to what emerges through the process itself.
My work is shaped by both the vibrant light of my Greek heritage and the expansive landscapes of my Texas upbringing. Across landscapes, figures, and still lifes, I return to the act of looking closely, believing that attention can transform even the most ordinary moments into something meaningful and connect us to the emotional weight places can carry.
Awards, Grants, & Residencies
- 2026, People's Choice Award, Watercolor Society of North Carolina Online Associates Exhibition
- 2025, Artful Evenings Artist-in-Residence, JB Duke Hotel, Durham, NC
- 2025, Artist Support Grant, North Carolina Arts Council
- 2025, 1st Place People's Choice, Watercolor Society of North Carolina Central Region Showcase
Exhibitions
2026
- Fine Arts League of Cary 31st Annual Juried Exhibition, Page-Walker Arts and History Center, Cary, NC (Juror: Lynn Sanguedolce)
- Durham Art Guild Member Showcase, Truist Gallery, Durham Arts Guild, Durham, NC
- Summer in Bloom, Griffith Fine Art Gallery, Whitsett, NC (Curator: Susan Harrell)
- Creative Mentorship Program 2026 | The Artist Journey, DAG Gallery + Studios at Golden Belt, Durham, NC
- Watercolor Society of North Carolina Central Region Exhibition, Griffith Fine Arts Museum, Whitsett, NC
- Watercolor Society of North Carolina Online Associates Exhibition, Online
2025
- Perspectives & Perceptions, Drinking Gourd Gallery, East Regional Library, Knightdale, NC (Curator: Carol Torian)
- A Light in the Dark, Sweet Bay Gallery, The ArtsCenter, Carroboro, NC (Jurors: Chieko Murasugi and Chris Musina)
- Durham Art Guild’s 71st Annual Juried Exhibition, Truist Gallery, Durham Arts Guild, Durham, NC (Juror: Colony Little)
- a*peeling, Peel Gallery, Carrboro, NC
- O.S.D., Durham, NC (solo exhibition)
- Paint the Forest Plein Air, The Makery, Wake Forest, NC
- Our House, Allenton & Semans Galleries, Durham Arts Council, Durham, NC
- Paint It Orange Plein Air Paint-out & Wet Paint Sale, Thomas Stevens Gallery, Hillsborough, NC
- Watercolor Society of North Carolina Central Region Showcase, Imperial Centre for Arts and Sciences, Rocky Mount, NC
- Durham Art Guild Member Showcase, Truist Gallery, Durham Arts Guild, Durham, NC
- Art Is For Everyone: Animalia, Hillsborough Arts Council Gallery, Hillsborough, NC
- Figured Out, The CoLab, Raleigh, NC
2024
- O.S.D., Durham, NC (solo exhibition)
- Our House, Allenton & Semans Galleries, Durham Arts Council, Durham, NC
- Paint It Orange Plein Air Paint-out & Wet Paint Sale, Eno Mill Gallery, Hillsborough, NC
Newsletter
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