The arts have played a major role in Samuel Dunson’s life since his youth. He was fortunate enough to be born into a household where exposure to the arts was as important as academic study. Samuel's fine arts began at Tennessee State University. Early in his academic and artistic pursuit, Samuel chose to concentrate on 3D works, but soon thereafter he moved towards painting and drawing. Upon receiving his BS in Studio Art, he searched and found representation for his paintings. From his exhibition record and portfolio, he gained admission into the Savannah College of Art and Design under a Presidential Fellowship award. After a successful two years, he received an MFA in painting. Samuel now exhibits his paintings in group and solo shows on a regular basis. His works have been reported and critiqued in art journals and newspapers alike.

Samuel teaches painting, drawing and 2D design, as well as Art Appreciation at Tennessee State University. He has been employed by the University since 2000.

My most recent works have become an important vice for my personal artistic expression. These works exhibit a range of themes that have become increasingly important to me within the past decade of my life. Themes involving love, acceptance of life and death, my personal narrative of being a black male in our society and my role as a husband and father are prevalent in my most recent works. I am interested in how popular culture affects me in the context of these themes. In creating these works, I choose to depict images that are personal to me, whilst having the ability to translate them in such a way as to invite the viewer in without appearing voyeuristic.

I am most comfortable working in a figurative manner in order to closely relate my subject matter to the human experience. Rendering the figures in a somewhat naturalistic fashion allows me to hold the right to step outside reality while maintaining believability. Storytelling is important in my process, but my works are intentionally becoming less narrative and more about the relation of form and function. I am pleased when my works pose more questions than answers. This allows the viewer to bring their own experiences into the work, as opposed to accepting mine. I feel that my artwork is most powerful when it speaks to the viewer in such a way that he or she leaves with something that they did not have before they came. My goal is for that something to be an appreciation of the artistic, creative and critical process