Shane Sun (artist name Sun Draws) was born and raised in Long Beach. He remembers he started painting around the age of fourteen, but he began drawing much earlier than that. During his time in high school, Sun created comic books as a creative outlet.

He grew up in a neighborhood between an eclectic Long Beach and a more conservative Los Alamitos. Sun was shaped by this dichotomy as an artist, and it shows in his work as well as his personal identity. For example, Sun’s artwork showcases the natural elements but includes bright colors like cerulean and fuchsia which are more common in pop culture than in nature. Sun describes himself as “this perpetual weirdo who just really wants to belong and really wants to connect with people” and says this is a struggle for him, and yet many people are able to connect with Sun’s work.