Art Exhibition Dates: June 16 – September 14, 2025 | Casa Azafrán Art Gallery

James Kuol Makuac (South Sudan) is a Nashville-based artist whose vibrant and expressive paintings reflect a life shaped by resilience, displacement, and imagination. As one of the Lost Boys of Sudan-young refugees who fled civil war and resettled in the U.S.-Makuac has spent the past two decades developing a distinctive practice of contemporary Sudanese painting. His work bridges cultures and continents, weaving together memories of South Sudan’s natural beauty with the realities of his American life, as he shares, “I paint the beautiful landscapes that I remember and the moon and stars at night, which we followed and believed would lead us to a place of safety.” Through his art, he bears witness to tragedy while also offering stories of survival, hope, and transformation. His paintings-filled with landscapes remembered, stars once followed, and symbols of new beginnings-tell not only his story, but that of countless others navigating between worlds.