Hello, I am Shamin Koya, and welcome to my website! I was born and raised in Mumbai, India. I worked as a fashion designer in Mumbai specializing in Salwar Kameezes (a traditional outfit worn in India) before moving to New York in 1997 after I got married. I studied typography and graphic design at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. In 1999, in connection with my husband’s job, we moved to Sydney, Australia, where I worked as a graphic designer. In 2002, his company moved us to Brussels, Belgium, where we lived for four years. I had my first child in 2003 and I subsequently took a career break to raise my daughter. In 2005, we returned to New York, and two years later, I had my son. Soon after he was born, I qualified as a Montessori teacher and worked at a Montessori school until we moved to Boston in 2017.

Painting and art have always been my passions, and I remember painting as a kid whenever I had some time on my hands. I was always fascinated by the work of various artists in India and by the wide variety of art forms in India, from textiles to arts and crafts. Being an American of Indian origin, my paintings are often vibrant, colorful, and full of life!

I paint in oil and watercolor, design logos, and also do some photography work. Since moving to Boston, I have studied painting in watercolors with artists like Sterling Edwards and Boston-based artists like Diane Fiedler, Gary Tucker, Nan Rumpf, Paul Alie, and painting in oils with artists such as Zakia Ahmed and Michael Wilson. In 2019, I participated in a National Arts Program contest in Chicago and won an award for my watercolor painting “Jellyfish”. I also presented a collection of my paintings inspired by Frida Kahlo at an art exhibition in Arlington, MA. In 2020, a few of my paintings was also showcased at the Holzwasser Gallery in Newton, MA.

I work in my art studio at home and continue to grow as an artist. I also like to play the piano in my spare time and travel with my family. Every day is a beautiful journey.