One of the things we love most about exploring Indianapolis is discovering the people who help make our city feel special. From coffee shop owners and chefs to musicians and local artists, these are the people who give Indianapolis its personality and inspire us to keep exploring.
As part of our Creators We Like series, we’re excited to introduce Sun-Young Gullery, a local artist whose miniature paintings beautifully capture some of Indianapolis’ most recognizable places. Her work isn’t just about painting buildings—it’s about preserving the memories, neighborhoods, and local businesses that make our city feel like home.
Finding Home in Indianapolis
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Sun-Young moved to Indianapolis in 2013 to attend Herron School of Art and Design, where she earned a degree in Art Education.
More than a decade later, Indianapolis has become home. Today, she’s a full-time high school 2D art teacher, a mother of two, and an artist who has continued to make creativity a priority despite balancing a busy family life and career.
Her artistic journey has evolved over the years, from large watercolor florals to traditional oil still lifes. Eventually, she discovered that working on a much smaller scale fit perfectly into her life—and unexpectedly became her signature style.
Tiny Paintings That Tell Indianapolis Stories
Today, Sun-Young is known for creating miniature paintings, most measuring just 2 by 3 inches.
Her work is clean, colorful, and minimalist while remaining incredibly detailed. She carefully tapes off each composition before painting and often adjusts elements from the original photograph to create an idealized version of the place.
Rather than simply copying what she sees, she paints locations the way we remember them—bright, welcoming, and full of the emotions attached to our favorite memories.
It’s a unique style that transforms everyday Indianapolis landmarks into timeless keepsakes.
Inspired by the Places She Loves
The inspiration behind Sun-Young’s paintings comes from everyday adventures with her family.
She, her husband Toby, and their two children love exploring local businesses, neighborhoods, parks, and restaurants throughout Indianapolis. Whenever a place leaves a lasting impression, she photographs it and later turns it into one of her miniature paintings.
Through her artwork, she hopes to support the local businesses that help make Indianapolis such a vibrant place while encouraging others to continue discovering them.
It’s a mission that immediately resonated with us at WE LIKE INDY.
Balancing Teaching, Motherhood, and Art
Creating beautiful artwork is only one part of being an artist.
For Sun-Young, one of the biggest challenges is finding enough time to do everything. Between teaching full time, raising two young children, fulfilling commissions, updating her website, and managing the day-to-day responsibilities of running a small business, painting often competes with everything happening behind the scenes.
Still, it’s the creative process she loves most.
Her goal is to continue simplifying the business side of things so she can spend even more time creating new artwork.
A Love Letter to Indianapolis: The Indy Print Club
One of Sun-Young’s favorite projects is the Indy Print Club, a subscription-based mail club that celebrates Indianapolis one painting at a time.
Each month, she creates a brand-new miniature painting inspired by an iconic local destination before turning it into a collectible print for subscribers. Every package also includes a personal letter and a small surprise from another Indianapolis artist or local business, making each delivery feel like a celebration of the city’s creative community.
We recently purchased one of her miniature paintings featuring the iconic Ann Dancingl on Mass Ave, and it quickly became one of our favorite pieces of local art. The amount of detail packed into such a tiny canvas is incredible, and it perfectly captures one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks. It’s exactly the kind of artwork that reminds you why supporting local artists matters.
A Quiet but Meaningful Impact
Although Sun-Young describes herself as someone who prefers working quietly behind the scenes, she’s built meaningful connections throughout Indianapolis’ creative community.
She enjoys supporting fellow artists, sharing ideas, celebrating each other’s successes, and helping keep the local art scene thriving.
For her, community isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room—it’s about showing up, creating meaningful work, and supporting the people around you.
More Than Just a Painting
When someone brings home one of Sun-Young’s paintings, she hopes they feel connected to their local community.
She also hopes people recognize the incredible amount of time, patience, and precision hidden inside every piece. Although her paintings are small, each one requires hours of planning and careful brushwork.
They’re tiny paintings with big stories.That feeling of belonging is something money can’t buy.
Where to Find Sun-Young Gullery
Website
www.sunyounggullery.com
Instagram
@gullerygallery
If you love Indianapolis, enjoy supporting local artists, or simply appreciate handcrafted artwork with a story behind it, Sun-Young Gullery’s miniature paintings are well worth discovering.
Creators We Like is an original WE LIKE INDY series highlighting the artists, makers, musicians, photographers, and creative entrepreneurs who help shape Indiana’s creative community. Through their stories, we hope you’ll discover not only inspiring people, but also the local places, businesses, and neighborhoods that continue to make Indianapolis such a special place to call home.
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