Madison Suniga
MFA ’21 Fine Arts 2D
The first master I studied was Chiam Soutine; the way he moved his paint and the violent nature of his subjects is what drew me to him. I too have an interest in the violent and crude nature of things. I put the paint down in a hostile and violent way, pressing hard into the surface. The thick paint and moving it around on the canvas reminds me of blood and goopy innards. I like to depict hostility. I see it in people all the time, like the angry bus driver, the angry right/left wing activist, the angry girlfriend, mom, dad, son, between nations; the list goes on. Instead of painting things directly as I see them, I use animals as precursors to the hostility that we may come across. Sister wendy said art should be timeless, and hostility is a recurring subject that humans of the past, future and present have faced and will face. One thing that counters hostility is laughter; humor underlies all of my paintings. The relationships I’ve had with people have always been built upon laughter, which proves useful in the healing process of the mind, body and soul.
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Madison Suniga is a painter who grew up in New England and studied at the University of Maine, where he received his BFA in painting. His inspiration comes from nature and wild animals he has come in contact with throughout his life. His paintings are often endowed with emotions that he feels in himself and perceives in others. He believes his paintings are a reflection of the hostile relationships we find in the world, which can be cured with which humor.
