Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Zakariya Abdul-qadir. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Zakariya, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I knew I wanted to be an artist when I was about 10 years old. I had a friend in the sixth grade who would draw X-men characters really well. We were both the same age but my renderings of figures was still anatomically symbolic. I was obsessed with the show. He was able to draw the characters with extreme detail. I knew then I wanted to be a comic book artist. A lot has changed since then, but what has stayed consistent is the drive to challenge myself in the studio all the time.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I grew up in Brownsville Brooklyn, NY. It was a bizarre time, pre-smart phone and before wide access to the internet was a thing. So like most kids from Brooklyn in the late 90’s, I gravitated to learning about the world through Saturday morning cartoons. 1st Gen Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, X-men and the likes. The world on Saturday mornings was a place of imagination and a source of wonder. In the sixth grade, I learned my friend could render cartoon characters exactly like they were on television. I envied his skill, as my drawing level was nowhere near his. I dedicated myself from that point on to become a skilled draftsman. When I went to high school, I took as many art classes as I could; I joined a club called Association for the Advanced Arts and took an AP Studio art class. Afterwards I went to Brooklyn College and enrolled in two drawing classes. By the second class, my drawing professor asked me if I’d taken any painting classes. I replied, I haven’t; I took his remark as an affront to my drawing skills. The following semester I took my first drawing class. I hated it. I couldn’t really grasp the concepts of color and painterly-ness. My painting professor encouraged me to take another painting class. I took another, and it was in this class I decided to become a painter. I realized what my drawing professor understood about my drawings that I hadn’t. My drawings had a painterly quality to them and once I started to understand the qualities of paint and develop a palette; I appreciated painting and what it had to offer. After graduating I traveled a bit, took odd jobs, and maintained a traveling studio practice. I’d say I became aware of my artistic voice around Covid. Until then, I was painting my day to day and interactions. Those paintings informed me about the importance of documenting the quotidian and the banal. During lockdown in New York, I became interested in local politics and began painting locally engaged politicians. I painted figures like City Council Member Chi Ossé and Senator Zellnor Myrie. I called these paintings the Living Legend series as a way of commemorating these figures. Currently, I’m enrolled at Pratt Institute as a second year in the MFA Painting and Drawing program. At Pratt, I’m thinking about land use, maps in Brooklyn, and the stories they tell. These present themselves in my work as collages in dialogue with ideas of the American landscape; the collages later become paintings.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding thing about being an artist is having the liberty to create whatever we want. I get to go to my studio and make. Translating material, be it paint, paper, or any other object into an idea or story. Often these stories reflect a lived experience. I’m also afforded the opportunity to share my work where the public can experience the narrative.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

The 9-5 mentality is capitalist propaganda and paying taxes is a joke. If we collectively stopped paying taxes–

Jokes aside, I think we need to stop telling people, hard work equals success. It doesn’t. Work on your passions at your pace, take care of your physical, mental, and social health. Do the work you want and sustain that passion by whatever means necessary.

I’ve worked different jobs ranging from barista, bartender, server, art handler, crating manager; each of these jobs sustained my creative pursuits. In between these jobs, I traveled and met so many different people. I think having this lifestyle gave me a greater appreciation for my creative work.

I’ve been privileged in having stability in my life. I would say the pursuit of a healthier lifestyle continues to drive my work ethic.

I remember having a conversation with a friend of mine. I told her the work week needed to be shortened to four days a week. We shouldn’t have to subscribe to a five day work week, leaving us with two days of freedom. She said this is ridiculous and this mentality was lazy. I think people need to more time for themselves and others, the things that matter most in life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://zakariyapaints.com
• Instagram: zakariyaa.qadir

Image Credits

Artist: Zakariya Abdul-Qadir
Photography: Federico Savini