Sunny Apinchapong-Yang was born in Bangkok, Thailand, where his Chinese parents settled after World war ll. He arrived in the United States in 1970 where he received his first formal art instruction. He attended Art Center College and California State University, Los Angeles, earning both a B. A. and M.A. degrees in Fine Arts. In 1977, Sunny began studying painting on a scholarship at the Sergei Bongart School of Los Angeles, and later worked as Mr. Bongart’s assistant.
From 1987 to 1989 Sunny lived in Dublin, Ireland and participated in exhibition sponsored by the Royal Academy of Arts, and a one man show at the Poloone Gallery in Dublin. He has won numerous awards for his paintings in regional competitions and has held private workshops around the country. In addition, Sunny has taught at Brandes Art Institute in Taos, New Mexico. Sunny is a Signature Member of the California Art Club and a member of its Board of Advisors. He has held a few solo exhibitions at the Moresberg Gallery in Los Angeles and in 1984, a one-man exhibition as well as, 1991 a duo exhibition at the the Frye Museum in Seattle, Washington.

Sunny has worked on several Walt Disney Feature animation movies since 1992, as a background artist and art director. He recently is working in the creative division of Dreamworks Animation.