My work deals with the sadness, the fear, the abuse and the violence that are undeniably a part of many people’s lives in this day and age
Sunil Puljhun received his art education at the Nola Hatterman Art Academy in Suriname, where he is currently a teacher himself. Early in his career he painted primarily those things he thought of as beautiful, but as his career progressed his focus gradually shifted to more weighty and relevant issues in society. This change was in part inspired by his friendship with the socially and politically, highly critical artist Kurt Nahar.
As Puljhun began to look beyond the surface, his art became darker, literally as well as figuratively. He often focuses on the darker side of human nature, and subjects such as war, greed, man’s hunger for power, poverty and abuse are recurring themes in his art. Puljhun often adds subtle texts and his own specific symbolisms to his work to strengthen the theme. The artist also creates works of art that are a combination of painting and drawing, but collage, the use of stencils, and digital art techniques are also incorporated into his work.
Puljhun has participated in several exhibitions in Suriname and the Netherlands. In 2009 he spent three months at the ‘Gerrit Rietveld Academie’ in the Netherlands as an intern, and in 2014 he was artist-in-residence at the Glo’ Art institute in Lanaken, Belgium.