Art Fashion Revolutionized

Photo Cred: Bonafide Visuals

She has no boundaries when it comes to her work. Whatever she imagines, she makes come to life. The Sungod. Artist. Fashionista. College student. The work of 22-yearold Sunaé Long is no ordinary thing. It’s revolutionary. It tests boundaries and forces change. So, we had to sit down with her to hear exactly what it means to be in her element of limitless creativity.

Chloé: How did you come up with the name “Sungod?”

Sungod: I got the name Sungod from my roommate at he time. One day I was in my dorm room. On top of my desk, I had a lamp that would shine down [to the ground] and I was dancing around. I was doing some dance and she was like “you look like a Sungod.” And I looked at her and said, “That’s kind of tough.” *laughs* So that happened in 2014, my freshman year, and then the year after I decided to do something with it. That’s when I turned into Sungod.

Chloe: When I first came across your page I said to myself, “That’s a really dope name,” and it fits you well!

Sungod: Yeah! Everything came from my roommate. She even started my art page. Which is @ArtbySungod on Instagram.

Chloé: So, when did you start considering yourself an artist? This being your name and your brand, when did you start considering that title?

Sungod: I knew I loved art because my nana raised us on craft parties. But I never called myself an artist probably until my sophomore year. I actually started with clothing. So when I really started painting heavy, I noticed I was doing art way more than I was doing homework. *laughs* When I decided to use Sungod as my brand, that’s when I started to call myself an artist, or artrepreneur.

Chloé: So you said you were an “artrepreneur.” How do define that term?

Sungod: An artrepreneur is someone who uses their creativity to feed their pockets and support themselves - someone who has their own hustle and their own brand and can do what they love. It’s taking something from nothing, turning it into an idea, and making it into physical income.

Chloé: Do you see yourself being an artrepreneur full-time at one point in your life?

Sungod: Oh yeah. Junior year I was full time. I guess that’s probably why I was so much more committed – because it was all I had. That’s the goal. To do it full time.

Chloé: I know life is getting crazy because you said you were full-time junior year. I can see how it would be difficult to keep it going. You’ll always have the passion, you’ll always have the spark, But sometimes life just-

Sungod: Yeah. There were days when I was exhausted. But I had to say to myself, “Do you want to eat today? Then it’s time to do something.” It was motivating.

Chloé: So, we know you are a painter. We know you do fashion. Where did the mix of fashion and painting meet?

Sungod: I wanted to do something that was different. I said to myself, you know what, I’m going to start painting on clothes, painting on hats. From there it got bigger and I started to visualize every piece and connect with others through my pieces. That’s what I believe helped me and my brand stand out. Even if someone else was doing it, nobody painted it the way I did it. No one had the creativity or vision I had when I put it into a piece. So I thought that was what could separate me as an artist.

Chloe: You know, trying to find ways to pull from different inspirations and different pieces, but then, also be yourself and be your own unique person is very hard. How do you keep up with fashion trends and how do you make them different?

Sungod: I have a few apps that I go on. I follow style pages, hashtags, I try to follow people from different states and different areas so I can see what’s trending there, too. Sometimes I see things from other places that got up to New Jersey late and it’s amazing to see how fast it reaches people. It gets crazy. For example bulletproof vests.

Chloé: I saw you made one!

Sungod: Yeah. And now it’s hitting up here! So I said let me be the first one to paint on something like that.

Chloé: So you take the stuff that you see and you go ahead and put your twist on it.

Sungod: Yeah. I research it. Or even certain clothing sites. I look and think, “that looks like something I can paint on. I’m going to do something with that.”

Chloé: That sounds revolutionary. What do you think it means to revolutionize art or revolutionize your pieces?

Sungod: To revolutionize my art means that my art will be legendary. I want my art to live on forever. I feel strongly about my pieces and I want them to spread out more. I want to start making other pieces, do things in digital work, and make clothes for children, too. I want to make art that’s for our community and for our people. I want it to hit home.

Chloé: That’s beautiful. What advice would you give someone like a young artist or up and coming creatives who are just trying to make their way through life? What would you say to them?

Sungod: I would tell them to always remember the reason why you started. Remember why you started and why you love it. Remember the love you had the first time around.