Jessica Farooq-Barrientos began painting at 8 years old. She draws inspiration from current events and political movements. Her art often centers around religious and political topics, influenced by her mother’s political career and religious background. Farooq-Barrientos and her brothers refer to themselves as “Chrislims,” a word used to describe the combination of Christian and Muslim beliefs as Jessica Barrientos and her family celebrate both Ramadan and Christmas.
Barrientos is also a public speaker who has spoken at many political events and rallies.
“I paint mostly political topics, the [topic] that has interested me the most as of currently is the Corona pandemic because it is affecting many people,” Farooq-Barrientos said during a phone interview.
Farooq-Barrientos begins her artistic process with a sketch on paper with a pencil. She then colors and outlines the artwork digitally. Her goal is to merge her political interests with her artwork so that the art may have a positive impact for real-life problems and to have her art be used to provide positive messages to assist in worldwide conflicts.
“There are many ways to deal with [social issues], my personal way is by drawing, it keeps me busy and fills me with feelings of positivity. There are always ways to better yourself and deal with stressors.”
“There are many ways to deal with [social issues], my personal way is by drawing, it keeps me busy and fills me with feelings of positivity. There are always ways to better yourself and deal with stressors.”
Farooq-Barrientos mentioned how working on her art has helped her through this challenging time. She advocates how important it is to focus on things one enjoys to maintain a positive outlook while living through the COVID-19 pandemic.
By Alexander Fernandez