Emon Surakitkoson is a Thai born artist who immigrated to the USA in 2005. She began painting professionally in 2020, after a career in hospitality. A self taught artist, her painting and mixed media practice metaphorically shares what it was like to come to the United States from Thailand, and the experience of embracing, and being embraced by, another culture. Tapping into the open and vibrant art scene of her home in Baltimore, she uses power tools, machines, and large, handmade brushes to carve and create her forms and canvases, transmuting her immigrant experience into an act of power, strength, and community. Meanwhile, she also harkens back to the craft heritage of her Thai background, finding strength and inspiration in her early memories and the lessons learned from her grandfather: that imagination, and mastery of basic tools, can yield an endless source of iterative forms. This self taught, independent approach, combining cultural traditions that span time and distance, is both personally expressive, as well as artistically redolent. Forging her own pathways, she speaks of the power and influence of belonging and community, which have had a profound impact on her life.
Her studio focus is on fine art with clients that include Kimpton Hotel, Marriott International Headquarters, Hyatt Regency Hotel, and American Express. Outside of her art practice, Emon has worked with local organizations to mentor school students in art, and has produced events and markets that support local artists and makers around DC, including through partnerships with the Hilton brothers’ H2 Collective, Strathmore and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
