As the spotlight shone on the actors performing in the 2022 production of “Puffs,” viewers could observe the intricate and colorful puppets created by senior Aarzoo Syeda. After watching some videos, Syeda was fascinated by the concept of puppets and stepped up to make them for the show.
Syeda started their art journey at a young age. However, they began to hone their skills during the pandemic to keep themselves occupied. Up until high school, they were completely self-taught. Their sophomore year, they took Art Studio and their junior year they took Digital Design Studio. As an artist, Syeda’s peers have described them as open-minded and willing to grow. According to Syeda, there is no one art medium that they feel solely connected to, and they draw inspiration from all around them.
When Syeda makes art, they get their inspiration from the world around them, which they then can translate into their drawings.
“I have a bad habit of people-watching. I’ll look out my window and if I see someone walking around, just going about their life, I’ll watch them,” Syeda said. “And I guess this is just a side effect of learning how to draw. You learn how to break things down into shapes. That’s ultimately how you conceive of an idea, you learn how to break it down.”
One of Syeda’s major sources of inspiration are memories of their childhood in India. According to Syeda, their Indian background is a big part of their identity and is reflected in their art.
“Saris [have] beautiful designs, [they’re] really colorful. My grandmother used to wear them really often. And, you just kind of internalize that. That does kind of influence you. Because to me, if I were to think of something to draw that makes me happy, I would think of intricate designs, repeating designs,” said Syeda.
According to Syeda, their English teacher back in India had an impact on their art. Syeda said that at their old school, there were not many opportunities to choose what they wanted to express, but this teacher was different.
“She was very supportive of imagination. She saw what I was capable of, and was like, ‘These ideas are really good, you should keep going with them,” Syeda said.
Senior Sana Lai met Syeda during their time in remote learning. Having known Syeda for a long time, Lai noticed how Syeda’s art style has changed over the years.
“It went from more cartoonish to something more realistic or more artistic, I think it’s incredible. I’m honored to be [Syeda’s] friend. It’s incredible to see how far they’ve come,” Sana said.
Digital Design studio teacher Eric Latimer taught Syeda their second semester of junior year. He first noticed their respectful and polite nature and then understood their personal and thoughtful approach to their designs.
“They make it a point to really have an open mind towards refining work and they seek feedback, which is great. They’re not rigid. I would say that Aarzoo is flexible and was receptive to ideas and you could see they were hungry for learning and how to improve,” Latimer said.
In Digital Design studio, Latimer noticed Syeda worked faster than many of their peers but did not take it as an excuse to rest and do nothing. Instead, Latimer said they approached their art with a lens looking for improvement. They liked challenges and always sought more from their art.
“They were really happy with the idea [that] ‘work is, It’s never finished, it’s simply abandoned,” Latimer said.
According to Lai, Syeda often gifts or shows their art to their friends. Lai said art brings joy to Syeda.
“They seem so proud when they’re done with it and they’re always so excited when they’re making it. That’s what I find so fun with their art. You know what I mean, because they always seem to enjoy making it,” Lai said.
Even though Syeda has entered some art competitions and takes art classes, they ultimately do not expect to look at their art from a critical point of view.
“If it makes me smile, if it makes other people smile, I’ve done my job,” Syeda said. “The goal here is to make something that I enjoy that other people will enjoy.”
