Supriya James

Biography

Supriya James is a Toronto-based contemporary landscape artist, of Indo-Guyanese heritage.

 After a successful career as a Communications Consultant working in public relations, government, politics, and the news media, she has furthered her proclivity for expression by undertaking another undergraduate degree at OCADUniversity, Toronto, Ontario (BFA Hon with Distinction, Drawing & Painting,2025.

 A recipient of the 2025 OCAD U/Toronto Outdoor Art Fair Career Launcher’s Award, the2025 OCAD U/Partial Gallery Career Launcher’s Award, and the 2025 Dean’sScholarship, Supriya will be pursuing an Interdisciplinary Master’s in Art,Media and Design (IAMD) MFA program at OCAD University in September, 2025.

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I see the world with a heightened sense of colour and react to it with raw emotion. The words of French painter, Eugène Delacroix resonate strongly within me and guide my creative compass: "Nature is a dictionary; one draws words from it".

I am also drawn to the spiritual energy I receive from the Canadian Shield (Georgian Bay, Ontario) and myriad international landscapes (Caribbean and Europe). These magical settings inspire my digital photography which is then used for the composition of my artwork that explores the thematic elements of ancestral history, memory, and temporality.

Intuitively, and via the bold use of colour and loose, gestural brushwork, my paintings embody my existentialist response to humankind's relationships with each other and the land.  A part, 2023 (displayed above), illustrates all of these elements and my recurring motif of roots as symbols demonstrating man's ties to the land.

It is my hope that my works are successful reminders for all to respect the environment and each other.

Supriya James, March 2024