We have a wonderfully extensive art program with many uniquely talented students, but this month we wanted to bring attention to a very special student. Ariani Barreto is a junior member of the Multi Media Art Academy and is an extremely talented artist.
Ariani, nicknamed Ari, has been doing art as long as she can remember. Ariani describes her art style as “flowing and natural,” stating that she loves drawing in pen, and getting her art to as close to as she envisioned. Ariani does digital drawings as well as paintings, traditional art, photoshop, and even piano instrumentals. She says most of her inspiration comes from her life experiences and her idols, such as family members, musicians, and other artists. She names off recognizable figures such as Lin Manuel-Miranda, Mark Edward Fischbach and Greta Thunberg as one of the most influential people in her life who inspires her to follow her dreams and her heart.
One of Ariani’s biggest challenges is how she wants to show her art. She speaks out about her fascination in sociology, philosophy and psychology and how she wants to convey those fields through art. She elaborates on how intriguing these topics are and how it plays in everyone’s everyday life. She wants to be able to use her art not only as a way to show her emotions, but to address social issues publicly. “I want to use my skills to show people the problems and positivity there is in life so that others can help themselves and each other.” she conjectures, concluding her passion to advance her art to help and communicate with people on a much broader scale.
Ariani speaks about how music and drawing through tough situations and dark thoughts. “People use to use me or take advantage of me for what I could provide,” she says, “I felt that I had to always had to have a mask on like everyone else and that everything around me is just fake. Creating art and music gave me an outlet to let out those repressed feelings and gain the courage to stand up to the people who hurt me, rationalize my feelings, and learn to love myself more.” She also brought up that her father, who is a photographer, has always been there to support her artistically and emotionally and how thankful she is to have him by her side.
Her goals are improving her style in art, expose herself to other art mediums and getting into De Anza Community College and their large art program, located in Cupertino. Soon after graduating from De Anza, she plans to go to San Jose University.
She is currently doing art commissions for friends or students. Some can be seen in the pictures above: half body being $3 and full body being $5. Drawings with more than one person or have complex backgrounds can add on additional $3-5. She additionally says she’s contemplating on selling her abstract paintings or starting facial retouching commissions on Photoshop.
Kasidee Law grew up in Manteca, California, and in Fremont. This is her second year at the Hatchet and she is the Opinions Editor. Her goal is to bring different types of opinions to light and open dialogues. Her future plans are going to community college and then transferring to a four year to get her degree in early childhood education.