Runa Gedam is an Edmonton-based contemporary oil painter whose work explores the beauty and interconnectedness of the natural world. Originally from India, she began painting as a self-taught artist and has developed a distinctive style using her fingers to apply oil paint, creating richly textured surfaces and expressive layers of colour.
Her paintings move fluidly between landscapes, wildlife, florals, cityscapes, and aquatic, each body of work reflecting a deep sense of curiosity and observation. Rather than focusing on a single subject, Runa's practice is guided by an ongoing desire to understand the world around her and translate those experiences into paint.
After years working as a chef, she chose to pursue her artistic practice more fully in Canada, where she continues to develop new collections inspired by nature, memory, and place. Her recent work explores the underwater world, inviting viewers to consider both its beauty and its vulnerability through submersive, contemporary oil paintings.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

Painting is how I like to expose my inner canvas to the outside world.
My practice is shaped by curiosity rather than a fixed destination. Each painting begins with something that captures my attention, a mountain landscape, a quiet lake, the intricate patterns of a flower, the character of a bird, the rhythm of a city street, or the hidden life beneath the ocean's surface. Through observation and creation, I seek to better understand these places and moments while exploring how colour, texture, and light can communicate a sense of presence.
Working primarily in oil paint, I build each painting by hand, allowing the physical process to become part of the finished work. The tactile nature of painting encourages me to slow down, respond intuitively, and remain open to discovery as each piece develops.
Although my subjects vary, they are connected by a shared appreciation for the natural world and the quiet moments that often go unnoticed. I think of my practice as an ongoing curiosity, one that continues to grow through looking closely, asking questions, and finding new ways to translate lived experiences onto canvas.