Today we’d like to introduce you to Najee-Zaid Searcy.
Najee-Zaid, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I was born in Chicago however I grew up in Dekalb, IL and returned to the city of Chicago in 2010 as a 19 year old hopeful. After several years as a makeup-artist for luxury retailers and cosmetic brands, I decided to claim my artistry and go independent. I began to work makeup in the film industry, became an arts educator and facilitator, musician, and returned to school for audio engineering.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
My art is always about centering love and appreciation for true human experience. In the realm of makeup, I love character based work for film, and bringing a person’s identity to surface. As an arts educator and facilitator I engage the youth and young adults in dialogues related to identity while we create self-care products like bath bombs, incense, and candles. For my geeky audio engineering heart, I enjoy tracking and mixing music, especially world music and local musicians, as well as podcasts and other critical audio based projects. You should always know to listen and look for meaning in my work and always approach it in your own time. As far as a takeaway, I’m at my best when people feel nourished in some way.
I have since done makeup for several web series, a short film, and a beautiful exhibition titled Self-Heal with Chris ThoughtPoet.
What do you think it takes to be successful as an artist?
Serendipity, purpose, and regeneration are three qualities I find around success. Success for me is a beautiful doorway of acceptance where self and society play together. It can actually be the difference between accepting oneself and accepting society. Because in that weird in-between space, creativity flourishes
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
My makeup can be found in a short film involving the reuniting of family, September 5th at http://www.sbgamble.com/film/.
I have been working as an audio engineer for a podcast titled “Rebel Sisters” it is on Soundcloud for free https://soundcloud.com/user-346944293/rebel-sisters-podcast-episode-1-nigs-in-paris.
Catch me at the Yollo Factory for arts (ages 13-24) by signing up at Yollocalli.org for our fall session of class. https://yollocalli.org/classes#1520292242538-f4f451e5-1b44
I will be co-facilitating an event centering citizenship and identity in Three Walls 2019 “In Session” season November 7th, which will feature a performance by my music duo Zo//Ra (ZoRa Multiverse). https://three-walls.org
Contact Info:
- Phone: 1-312-884-9634
- Email: najeezaidsearcy@gmail.com
- Instagram: @najeesearcy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/najeesearcy
Image Credit:
Main photo: Photoyozee
ThoughtPoet
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