I am April Sunami.

Mixed-Media Painting is my art.

Painter |

April Sunami Studio

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"My method is to combine figurative oil portraiture with mixed media. I utilize everything in my art, including paper beads, maps, wood, fabric, broken mirrors, bullets, stones and breakaway glass from car accidents, as well as anything else I find. I use these objects in my paintings to represent specific themes in my work, such as spirituality, ancestral ties, and the history and the mythology of the African Diaspora."

"I love that I have been painting the same subject for a decade and yet I have explored so many themes within that subject. The work is always evolving in new ways as I explore different concepts and refine my techniques. "

"My artistic process is refined through continually exploring ways to work with new materials and concepts. "

"Being open to information, experiences and people in the world around me are what help me recharge and gain new fuel for my work."

"Art is one of the few things in life I take seriously. People who know me well can attest that I am extremely silly."

"One thing I’ve learned about myself is how essential art is to my emotional and spiritual well-being. "

"Even though art seems like a solitary activity it thrives on the interplay between the viewer and the work created. The creations that I am most proud of are those where someone connected with the work on a visceral level. At an art opening featuring a piece I created I saw a person cry in front of my work. It was then I absolutely knew that making art was my purpose on this earth. "

"Columbus’ greatest resource is its people. I wouldn’t be the artist I am today without all the peers and mentors who have supported me, challenged me and inspired me."

"The artists in Columbus are not only incredibly talented, but also generous, welcoming, open and encouraging of each other. Most of us truly understand that great art does not happen in isolation. Communities of artists talking, sharing, collaborating, mentoring and being in fellowship with one another is how great art movements are shaped."

"Columbus should expand its efforts to provide opportunities and resources for its artists to make a good living."

"I was once told by a beautician ‘If you don’t think you’re cute, honey, nobody will.’ I always think about that message of having confidence in yourself first."