“I have so many hopes and dreams now that I live in a place where it is possible to set goals’” says James Kuol Makuac. “My overall ambition is to tell the world, through my art, the story of the Lost Boys of Sudan.

"My objective, as the artist messenger, is to tell a personal story of the heartbreaks and ravages of war. Through my art I want to remember the children, the innocent victims of war. I hope that my art might reflect upon a more universal theme and speak for all people who suffer through war and oppression.”

A self-taught artist, James is constantly try to develop his eye as an artist and practice his technique of applying paint as his medium. “My paintings have a narrative and depict my experiences as a child living amidst civil war and as a refugee in Africa, eventually settling in Nashville, Tennessee. I am a storyteller through my art.”