Artist Spotlight: Harsh Agrawal RI

The Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours Annual Exhibition 2025 is open at Mall Galleries from Wednesday 26 March to Saturday 5 April. 

We spoke to Harsh Agrawal RI, a watercolour artist exhibiting at the Annual Exhibition, about his work and practice. 

Please could you introduce yourself?

I am a plein-air watercolour artist based in London and a newly elected Council member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours. Originally from Rairangpur, a small village in India, my artistic journey has taken me across the globe, from working in the entertainment industry on Oscar-winning films, to pursuing my passion for painting full time. 

Watercolour is a key medium in your work. Have you always worked in watercolour? What drew you to it specifically? 

While I have explored various mediums, including acrylics and portraiture in oil, I have always gravitated towards watercolour. It was the most accessible medium early on, allowing me to paint freely on paper and sketch on the go. Its portability made it an ideal choice during my travels, but over time, I became deeply captivated by its unique qualities. 

Watercolour offers a spontaneity and luminosity that I rarely find in other mediums. The way pigments interact with water creates a beautiful unpredictability - granulation, transparency, and fluidity - all of which contribute to a sense of life and energy in the painting. Many of the artists I admire, from John Singer Sargent and Arthur Melville, to English watercolour masters, have harnessed the medium masterfully, and their work has greatly influenced my approach. 

You have worked on Oscar-winning films like Coco, Toy Story and Avengers: Endgame. What was it like to transition from the entertainment industry to becoming a plein-air landscape artist? What motivated the change?

Leaving a well-established career in the entertainment industry to pursue painting full-time was a major personal and professional shift. During my years in the film industry, I found myself constantly painting after work hours and on weekends, longing to engage more deeply with traditional art. However, financial stability and family responsibilities kept me in the industry. 

The turning point came during the recent pandemic while I was living in Singapore. That period of reflection made me realise that, despite my career success, I was still chasing financial security rather than personal fulfillment. I didn't want to look back later in life with regret for not having pursued painting seriously. With that in mind, I made an impulsive but necessary decision - I quit my job, moved to London, and dedicated myself entirely to plein-air painting. 

How would you describe your artistic process when painting on location? Do you have a routine or ritual that helps you get into the zone? 

When I am outdoors, I am constantly drawn to fleeting moments; shifts in the light, the play of shadows, or the energy of people in a scene. As I walk through a city or landscape, I remain visually alert, waiting for something to captivate me. Once I find my subject, I set up my easel and let the environment dictate the painting. 

Plein-air painting, for me, is like a long exposure photograph. It captures multiple moments in time rather than a single instant. Once I place the first brushstroke, I enter a meditative state, fully immersed in the process. Weather conditions, whether it's wind, cold or heat, fade into the background and I work instinctively until the piece feels complete. It's only after finishing that I suddenly become aware of my surroundings again, often realising that I am hungry or cold! 

My process typically involves scouting a location, sketching to establish composition, and then telling a visual story through the painting. My goal is not just to depict a place but to convey the mood and atmosphere - if I can share a part of my experience through the artwork, then I feel I have succeeded. 

You have travelled and painted in various locations around the world, including London, the USA, Singapore, and India. How do different cultures and environments influence your approach to painting? 

Living in multiple countries has broadened my perspective, making me more adaptable and open to different ways of seeing and interpreting the world. Each place has a unique rhythm, colour palette, and atmosphere, and immersing myself in diverse cultures has enriched my artistic vision. 

Beyond the visual inspiration, cultural experiences also shape my narrative. Conversations with my locals, the energy of a marketplace, the taste of regional food - all of these elements become part of my artist’s memory and subtly influence how I paint. When I create a work, I'm not just capturing what I see but also the emotions and sensory experiences I associate with that place. 

Travelling has also taught me to embrace the unexpected, sometimes the best paintings come from unplanned moments, whether it's stumbling upon a familiar alleyway in London or witnessing a festival in India. 

Do you have a favourite piece you're exhibiting at the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours Annual Exhibition? 

One of my favourite pieces in this exhibition is Whispers in the Bazaar. It depicts a bustling marketplace in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan close to my hometown in India. The painting captures an intimate moment in the bazaar, where people are engaged in conversations amidst the golden hues of the desert city. 

This piece is particularly special to me because it encapsulates not just the visual elements of Jaisalmer but also the atmosphere - the dry heat, the aroma of spices, the hum of voices weaving through the narrow streets. When I look at the painting, I can still recall those sensations vividly, and I hope that viewers can experience a glimpse of that world through my painting.