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The Bleeding Heart & the Underdog
“We were all humans until race disconnected us, religion separated us, politics divided us, and wealth classified us.” — Banksy I am choosing to share this seismic moment from my childhood because I see its shadow across continents—amplified, multiplied, and made more brutal. On the day I turned nine, I spent hours searching for my best friend, Copper. She was nowhere to be found. Eventually, my father told me he had shot her that morning. I was stunned. I had known this day
Julia Sunde
Jan 222 min read


La Petite Mort
La Petite Mort has matured beside me for over a decade. The composition is inspired by a compilation of three self-portraits I took at the start of 2015 — the year that broke me. The photographs were originally taken for someone I loved. They were beautiful and meant to be cherished, not consumed. I saved them because I knew they deserved more, and that one day I would be able to elevate them. My first attempt came in 2016. I painted a small piece based on one of the images.
Julia Sunde
Nov 6, 20251 min read


The Beauty in Pain
Life is hard. I learned that when I was far too young. I have been back and forth about how I should share this portrait and the reasons...
Julia Sunde
Sep 16, 20251 min read


Bryllupsnatt
Bryllupsnatt i Geiranger is a tribute to yin—the feminine energy that shapes who I am. For much of my life, I struggled with self-worth. I could not see my own value. More than anyone, it is my children who have shown me that my nurturing, sensitive nature is not only valid—it is essential. Through them, I have come to understand that my existence matters. We have all heard the sayings: “Your worth is not measured by what you do, it is who you are,” and “Define success on
Julia Sunde
Aug 21, 20251 min read


Viola, My Internal Scream
This piece began as a visceral need to create something unapologetically, savagely feminine. I let that urge take over, raw and...
Julia Sunde
Apr 10, 20251 min read


A Bloom in the Ashes Where I Fell
Iris represents a deeply personal story of love, betrayal, and transformation. The three vertical petals, the standards, symbolize three...
Julia Sunde
Mar 17, 20251 min read


Cinnamon Buns: A Mother's Recipe for Self-Discovery
For me, and I'm sure countless others, becoming a mother has broken me down and forced me to redefine and redirect like never before. My...
Julia Sunde
Feb 20, 20251 min read


A Backstage Pass to Bryllupsnatt: Art, Empathy and Reproductive Rights
When I was a girl in Alabama, there was a print of Brudeferd i Hardanger (Bridal Procession on the Hardangerfjord) hanging in the foyer...
Julia Sunde
Feb 5, 20252 min read


On Motherhood
A reflective essay written for Ambi . Mother was The Woman the whole world had imagined to death. – Deborah Levy Becoming a mother was synonymous with putting my life in the hands of fate. Relying on hopes and dreams while making a life-long commitment to a person I had never met and would only learn to know with time felt like the ultimate form of letting go. It was terrifying and thrilling and by far the riskiest thing I had ever done. Historically, women have been expecte
Julia Sunde
Jan 17, 20252 min read
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