Sanithna Phansavanh

November 20, 2020:  Sanithna Phansavanh is an Atlanta-based visual artist who puts the human condition at the focus of his work. In a 2014 CommonCreativAtl interview, Sanithna was asked about his favorite themes to explore in his work and here was his response: “Examining the human condition is a core theme. My work defaults to deconstructions of who we are and what we do as humans. Life, death, and the dynamics between drive everything for me, so I try to find reflections of us in various explorations… from simple portraits to fuller, personal narratives.”

Sanithna uses the “tooth and nail” idiom in his logo to explain his approach to his work. The teeth represent fighting with all of his resources in the pursuit of his projects. The teeth also carry a second layer of meaning i.e. his hunger to “sink his teeth” into a nice fat succulent project. The nails (carpenter’s nails instead of fingernails) represent creating practical solutions infused with artistry.

Sanithna grew up in a refugee program in Kansas City after his mother escaped the communist regime in Laos during the 1970’s. The poverty he experienced during his early years influenced his mother to push Sanithna to better his circumstances by becoming a white-collar professional such as a doctor or a lawyer. Despite his lifelong love for the arts Sanithna initially stayed on the white-collar path. Then somewhere along the way he discovered that the arts provided an alternative path to success without the need for the restrictive vwhite-collar.

For many years Sanithna worked as a commercial graphic designer. Fortunately for all of us he decided to put aside the long and unrewarding hours of commercial work aside to focus instead on his personal art. The immersive graffiti culture of his skateboarding youth eventually led Sanithna back to public art.

Sanithna received his Associate of Fine Arts Degree with a concentration in drawing and painting from the University of Georgia in 2000. In 2003 He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Graphic Design from Georgia State University. His works have been displayed internationally as well as locally in public murals and in numerous galleries and venues such as the High Museum of Art.

Link to Sanithna Phansavanh’s website: http://art.sanithna.com

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