April Sunami

“My work is part spiritual reflection, social commentary, historical investigation, cultural exploration and personal catharsis in the form of mixed media painting. At its core, my creative practice is a reverent homage to the presence, power and history of Black women. They take center stage in my compositions, enabling an expression of themes encompassing Black femininity, empowerment, spirituality, collective memory, enduring mythologies, and the significance of place.

Many of my artworks pay homage to pre-colonial African queens and deities, figures whose significance has been disregarded by Western historical narratives. Through this deliberate act of unearthing and highlighting these names, I perceive myself as a custodian of forgotten legacies, a guardian of a marginalized past that deserves recognition and reverence. In essence, my artistic practice becomes a vessel for the restoration of collective memory, an act of remembrance that bridges the gaps between cultures and generations.

Within the framework of these women, I paint, assemble, and layer diverse materials, a deliberate nod to the multidimensional essence of the subjects I portray. My canvas becomes a vessel, a canvas where cowries, glass, maps, fabric, paper, beads and other ordinary items metamorphose into potent symbols, collaborating to unveil the importance, power and agency of women.”