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A painting by Ismani Sun, a San Antonio artist, will be on prominent display at the African American Civil War Memorial Museum when it opens at its new location in Washington D.C.
“It's a surrealist painting with a lot of layers and depth and symbolism. I wanted to feel as a celebration of resilience and hope for in the future,” Sun said. “So in the painting, you'll see a cotton field where a boy is standing in the middle and he's picking one tuft of cotton, you'll immediately connect with him, and he symbolizes a new generation of hope and the future. Below him you'll see a visual war of Civil War soldiers, African American Civil War soldiers engaging in battle.”
The museum, which "honors the heroic roles of 209,145 US Colored Troops (USCT) who helped end slavery and kept America united under one flag," first opened in 1999.
After a few initial moves as it grew, a fully realized museum will open at its new home in July, just in time to honor the Black Union soldiers who attacked Fort Wagner outside Charleston, South Carolina, in July 1863. The heroism of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, immortalized in the film Glory, inspired almost 200,000 more Black volunteers to join the Union forces.
Sun documented her composition of the work, titled "Bloom," in multiple videos on TikTok and on her other social media accounts.
@ismanisun I’m so excited to announce I’ll be painting a commemoration peice for the grand reopening of the African American civil war museum in D.C. please follow along with my process and visit the #africanamericancivilwarmuseum to see the finished peice in person! #civilwar #civilwarhistory #civilwarmuseum #africanamerican #blackhistory #BlackTikTok #blacktok #artistsoftiktok #blackartistoftiktok #viral #oilpainting #oilpaintings ♬ BLOOM - Doechii
In a statement, the museum celebrated Sun's painting as capturing the "oppression and struggle the [Black] soldiers faced. Yet, amidst the chaos of battle, there is hope — a future where a new generation, represented by the child depicted in the work, can pick the fruits of freedom and envision a life beyond the shadows of the past. ... It suggests that while the soldiers are engulfed in struggle, the child stands above, in a new world shaped by their courage — a world where he can gaze upward and dream of a different future."
Sun explained that she also publishes children's books.
“We create children's picture books, and we run an online bookstore called Kushite Publishing. And there is a subset for the children's media that is the Sun Children Series,” she said. “And we have five picture books that feature African American and Black main characters, and we tell really imaginative stories that children love.”
Sun said her books focus on the positive in life: “I always want to highlight the best in our community and make people feel seen. So I always aim to share that diversity and that inclusion and make sure that every child in my picture books and with my children's illustration can be represented."
Growing up, she didn’t see so many people on TV or in books that looked like her. She doesn’t want her children to have that same experience.
“So that is a close spot in my heart. As you know, growing up as an African American, I didn't always see that representation, so I wanted to be a beacon I suppose, for future generations, so that they always can see themselves represented in a positive light,” Sun said.
When it comes to muses for her illustration work, she doesn’t have to look far.
“When it comes to my children's illustration, my overall muses are my children. Just trying to give them a great childhood and seeing them learn and grow and do different things and doing things for the first time."
Sun also plans to do a public art piece for the city of San Antonio. It’s still in the design phase.
“It will be a shading area for pedestrians in a residential neighborhood over a drainage system. And it's meant to celebrate nature and the way that water flows through the city,” Sun said. “And it's a beautiful structure that I've designed, and it should be coming up soon, within the next year, 2026.”
