I am a self taught artist located in Michigan. I go by the name Lanati, I tend to gravitate towards bright colors, stylized portraits, abstract, illustrative and surrealistic art. I’m drawn to Acrylic paint the most because of its natural vibrancy however most of my work is mixed media or digital. My love for art started very young, I come from coloring on my bedroom walls as a toddler, to then filling up every notebook in sight with doodles, and soon after upgrading to sketchbooks. In High School, it was my AP art class that inspired me to take my passion seriously. I realized I had a unique style I could nurture. I studied art for a couple years at Western Michigan but quickly realized my artistic vision did not align with what they had to offer. Since then I’ve been creating art that represents who I am, the legacy I want to leave behind, and overall self expression.

Growing up studying art I always noticed the lack of representation of black and brown people in famous historical paintings. I never wondered why because I knew why, but I knew I had the ability to create the art that I wanted to see in the world, entertaining the wild thought that it would resonate. Creating characters that look like me and those around me gives me a sense of purpose, heals my inner child, and adds life to a world that can seem so draining but also in desperate need of love and understanding.