Cheryiah Sunshine

Artist Statement

Cheryiah Sunshine is a collage and mixed media artist based in Memphis, TN. She graduated from the University of Memphis with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design in 2022. During the pandemic, after the loss of her grandmother and facing her grandfather’s cancer diagnosis, Cheryiah turned to art as a way to honor her family and reflect on the memories they shared. This experience shaped the themes in her work, and she continues to expand on these ideas—using art to revisit, reinterpret and come to terms with the past in the present.

Her process often begins with photographs that spark the memories she wants to portray. She incorporates details into each piece that are unique to each person she’s illustrating—like portraying her grandfather, who grew up on Westerns, as a cowboy or using word search paper for a piece about her Nana, who loved puzzles. She titles her pieces with references to songs, scriptures, TV shows, books or pop culture. Her collage process blends washi tape, scrapbook paper, wrapping paper, or anything else she can find to create richly textured works. The variety of colors and patterns in these materials convey the layered, emotional complexity of each person and moment she depicts.

Cheryiah’s art journey is a continuous act of remembrance that turns moments of joy, pain and love into something tangible. Through her work, she expresses her love for those closest to her and invites others to reflect on the people and memories that shaped their own lives.