Today we’d like to introduce you to Sharidyn Barnes.
Sharidyn, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My career at a young age; interested in cartoons and animation staying up in the morning time watching television, and enjoying my time as a child. As I grew up as a child being artistic and continued to do so all through my adult age. When I was in high school, I won an award for one of the best artists in the district. As I went through Jackson State my main focus was college, playing soccer in college and hanging out with friends. As I went through my time in school, I felt more connected to art than I did playing sports, learning about my artistic endeavors again that I had as a child. Art is the personification of freedom, the most honest form of life. I wholeheartedly believe you can never create art without a personal connection. My artwork is the biggest reflection of my own personal experience. Whether it is heartbreak, success, music, or issues in society, I feel I can capture the soul of my inspiration. As I went along with my career, I ended up attending Savannah College of Art and Design, and getting a Master’s in Fine Arts in Painting, learning how to paint and interact with other artists in the community. My artwork inspired by my time there and with the black community. After graduating, I ended up moving back home and showing my artwork in Dallas. I have had my artwork in the mayor’s Suite and received a residency from Art Center Padula in Italy.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest obstacle I have faced is making sure I do not get burned out. Burnout is very real in the art world. I have had the most issues with probably working until no end and not always taking the time to care about everything else but learning to have a work-life balance is essential. The sheer cost of art is also an obstacle because the price is always continuous because it is always something to do and pay for, but that is a part of growing up. One of the biggest challenges as well is being a women in business because you have to be intelligent to recognize situations. Some situations are not always best, but being able to realize what is going on is something that is learned through trials.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
My vision is to inspire black and brown voices through interactions with the community. Through my artwork, I navigate identity inspired by pop culture references and tell the stories of people of color centering around humanity and comfort. My work is centered around blackness and advances the conversations through a young black woman’s perspective, often navigating a space that does not allow me to be my full self. I am interested in nostalgia in relation to childhood memories, reactionary to the environment around me. It includes abstraction, reconstruction, and deconstruction of the imagery and material. I amplify voices by exploring my relationship and language between sports culture, brands, and hyper-consumerism.by layering paint and architecture and recognizing the design elements within construction.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Understanding the situation, I think what I learned the most is to adapt to anything because at any moment something can happen. Life can hit you pretty hard, but you know to take it day by day. I think patience is key because if there are certain aspects of life that is out of your control, then there is nothing you can do about it. Also, learning about the other ways you can connect with people whether online or by subscribing to influencer channels to see try to communicate with people.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sharidynbarnes.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharidynbarnes/
Image Credits
http://www.jersean.com/JerSeanGolatt
