South Asian painter hopes to inspire others to express themselves through art

Suruchi Suda says art is in her DNA.

So much so she quit her corporate day job to pursue her passion. Now she hopes others in the South Asian community might be inspired to try painting themselves.

The Airdrie-based artist loves to paint colourful depictions of popular Indian deities like Krishna and Ganesh, and colourful works that reflect her Indian heritage and upbringing.

"It's in my DNA. My mother is an artist, my sister is an artist. My mother does embroidery, painting, stitching, everything," said Suda.

Suda moved to Canada nine years ago from northern India. She quit her corporate job four years ago to pursue her dream of being a full-time artist.

"Initially it was difficult. For a year I had close to no business, but I'm busy now."

"I'm Indian at heart and I love colours, bright colours. Indian subjects like Krishna or Ganesha, they have several shapes and we can imagine them in any colours. If I put more colours on my canvas it makes me happy and through this I want to spread happiness."

Suda now sells her colourful paintings to customers all over the world. They're also popular with Calgary's Indo-Canadian community.

"India is a country of colours so if my subject is Indian I can put more colours in it. Krishna is a symbol of love and when I'm painting Krishna I feel love, I feel blessed myself and when it goes to my client's home I feel like I'm sending some love to them."

Krishna is one of the most popular Gods in Hinduism.

The elephant-headed Hindu God of beginnings, Ganesh, is another favourite subject for Suda.

"Ganesha is worshipped at the beginning of anything so if you have Ganesha you have the blessings of Genesha in your home or office. If you see Ganesha around you, you are blessed. These two are my favourite subjects," she said.

But her work isn't restricted to Indian themes. Suda also paints horses and landscapes inspired by her new home in Alberta.

"I paint more South Asian stuff so most of my clients are South Asian, but I sell some of my paintings to other communities, paintings other than Indian Gods. Just a couple of months ago I painted an angel, I also painted a house for a Canadian client. Another painting went to an American."

Suda says she develops a connection to many of her paintings, which can make it difficult to part with them once they are completed and ready for a customer.

"Sometimes I feel so sad and even cry when my paintings are sold. It's like my baby is going away, but there's happiness as well that they're getting adopted."

Suda says she wants to inspire other South Asians to take art as a career seriously. But becoming an artist isn't on a lot of parents' radar when it comes to traditional career choices.

"I do inspire, I would say, and I get many requests to teach from the community," said Suda. "When I started painting I didn't know if there were any other South Asian artists in Calgary but now they are emerging.

"I was artistic since my childhood but I had no idea I could turn it into a profession because there were was no such exposure. Then I came here and saw other artists selling their paintings and I thought, 'Why can't I do that?'"

Suda says other artists inspired her and influenced her own journey to becoming a full-time painter and she hopes to provide that same inspiration for others.

She's busy now painting multiple commissioned pieces and large canvases.

"I just keep working," she said.