Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sana Kakumanu. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Sana, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
I am very grateful for the opportunity to have tried everything. I think starting from when I was young, I tried on different identities to decide which combination felt the most true to myself. It was always art and creativity that fit best.
I remember in preschool, I disliked the illustration for the letter “U” when we were learning the alphabet, so instead I drew a ukulele and asked for copies to be made and redistributed. Then in elementary school, I had an underground business selling rainbow loom bracelets to my classmates. In middle school, I began exploring graphic design, and in high school, I started painting walls and ceilings.
For the longest time I was in denial of this recurring return to creativity, because I was convinced that it would be a fruitless endeavor. Though I am not sure how much financial return this path will bring me, the cliché is true. I cannot imagine myself doing anything that doesn’t involve art, and that fulfillment means the most to me.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am a 3D look development and environment artist as well as a communicator. I came to New York to study 3D animation and VFX at the School of Visual Arts, but I have learned a lot more about collaboration. I am interested in the dynamic between artists’ use of technology for storytelling and world-building.
I say communicator because I have experience in both production and communications. I previously worked at NASA’s Langley Research Center as a digital communications intern and at Cosm as a community intern. In both roles, I was immersed in research tasks, but was always balancing various projects and conversations at once.
Aside from that however I am truly grateful to be able to call myself a multidisciplinary artist. I recently tried my hand at tattoo apprenticing, I have some interest in photography, I am taking a stop motion class next semester, and for the rest of my life I hope to always be drawing grass and bunnies and whatever makes me happiest.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Very unoriginally I think that would be by creating more artistic employment opportunities. This supports preexisting talent and inspires new talent that creativity is financially sustainable, so it does not get under appreciated compared to other interests.
At the same time, however I still believe the biggest reason as to why people will drop their paint brush or not draw in years is because without financial incentive such time consuming hobbies feel like a waste of time. The essence of a renaissance sort of approach to interests and experimentation has been lost on to the modern individual. AI that prioritizes faster and faster returns has replaced the inclination for people to challenge themselves with learning a craft, as these temporary destructive solutions have claimed to make art more accessible.
Despite modern “solutions” I hope more people are encouraged to take pen to paper and seek fulfillment in growing as an artist.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
I wish I had started recognizing my peers as a resource earlier on. There’s a really unique dynamic of learning from each other since for the most part we have gone through similar issues and asking for help is so much more approachable. It’s been really valuable to get feedback and criticism from peers, especially from my mentors.
I would not have been able to create the work I take the most pride in without the creative direction and guidance of my mentors. They truly taught me more than my classes, and I learned so much as an artist and about being a kind person from them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sanakakumanu.wixsite.com/sanaportfolio
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sanakakumanu/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sana-kakumanu-a14436236/
Image Credits
Cafe environment in collaboration with Natalie Lo
Korean Shopping Complex environment in collaboration with Marin Kim and Kristin Lee