*All photos courtesy of Narjis Musa*

Attention art enthusiasts! Here are some of the incredible works of Narjis Musa, a highly talented senior at Pentucket. Winning an award from Montserrat College of Art in 2022, they have created many strong, amazing pieces, which are an extraordinary addition to our school newspaper. 

Artist History

Musa began working on graphic novels in elementary school and has been drawing since they can remember. Wanting to improve their skills, Musa started to check out drawing books from the library, sketching from reference, and watching videos, trying every possible medium. The goal was not to be a perfect artist but to have fun and learn as much as possible. This remains their goal to this day. 

As school progressed, Musa continued to draw throughout middle and high school. They reminisce about learning aspects and receiving encouragement from different educators, “Mrs. Dupre introduced me to art history, Mr. Bixby taught me a lot about composition and balance, Ms. Bynum educated me on the world of abstract art, and Ms. Nadeau has helped me in almost every aspect of art.” Pentucket has a strong art department that supports individuals in what they want their art to be, not what a strict curriculum requires. 

Musa, with the support of their mom and siblings, began sharing their art on Instagram back in 2019. They have taken 10 commissions that have flowed through over the years, and are now on Artfol and Tumblr as well; all under @early.morning.illustrations234. 

Current Works

Today, Musa describes their art style as flexible. They said, “I never limit myself to one exact style because some pieces need to be more realistic while others can be more cartoony. In most cases, my art is colorful, vibrant, experimental, expressive, and sometimes exaggerated.” Behind the excellent visuals of Musa’s art, the higher aspect is the story behind it. 

Cafe Jazz Poster

As you may have seen on our school announcements, this piece was completed in late November of 2023, using pencil, ink, gel pen, colored pencil, and soft pastels.

Graphic Novel

Musa, last year in Senior Studio, put five months of effort into creating a graphic novel. They recall, “First I wrote an outline, then storyboarded, then drew out all the pages, colored, inked, and bound every page. I definitely learned a lot for the next book I try to make.” 

Love and Hate

For AP Studio Art this year, these two paintings, Musa says, “were created as a part of my sustained investigation in humanity. Love and hate are huge motivators for human actions so I wanted to reflect on that in my art.” They used a lot of symbolism, including snakes, Greek goddesses, doves, flowers, and other natural symbols.  

We Will Not Be Silenced

This powerful piece was created in November 2023. It reflects on the oppression that Palestinians have faced in the last 75 years. Musa themself is half-Palestinian and felt the need to speak up about this issue using their art. The watermelon represents Palestine- its people have used the fruit symbolically, for it contains the colors of their flag. This painting, in the background, also contains the words, “We will not be silenced,” written in Arabic. 

While writing the calligraphy, Musa had an inkwell spill across their page, which was a devastating moment after so much time and effort perfecting it. This is the reason for the piece remaining unfinished; Musa, agreeably, felt that the resistance and suffering of Gazans were captured perfectly. “They loved their homeland the way it was, and now they are fighting destruction and ethnic cleansing,” Musa explains, “I want the people of Israel to be safe. I want peace, but we cannot ignore what the Israeli government, not its innocent citizens, are doing to innocent Palestinians.” 

Marsha P. Johnson Painting and Awards

This award-winning piece was made in 2022 for Musa’s painting class, using watercolor paint and ink. Inspired by early 20th-century  artist J.C. Leyendecker, this painting is of Marsha P. Johnson, an LGBTQ+ activist who was a large part of the Stonewall Riot. Leyendecker was a closeted gay man, so Musa’s use of his painting style creates a beautiful contrast. Montserrat College of Art awarded their piece for its movement. “Winning an award for my art was an amazing experience,” Musa recalls. “There were over a hundred people at the exhibit at Montserrat and it was amazing seeing so many talented artists my age,” they said. This was not the only winning piece they had created. 

This past year, Musa also received a Massachusetts Amazing Emerging Artists (MAEA) Recognition award. Musa decided they wanted a challenge, and created a new painting, portraying the maintenance of friendships. The painting contains two vases, one with yellow carnations, and one with flourishing chrysanthemums with a watering can above. “This piece was one of my first attempts at diving into deeper subjects in my art,” Musa says, “When this piece was chosen for recognition, it felt great.” Their piece has been displayed online with other recognized young artists state-wide. 

Musa’s Message to Youth Artists 

Musa, to anyone who is feeling insecure or unmotivated for their art, says they totally understand how it feels. They used to feel insecure in their skills, but this only motivated them to keep learning. “The more art you make, the more risks you take and pieces you ‘ruin,’ the more you learn,” Musa says. They also explain that “art block” is, in actuality, something else occurring in an artist’s life, pulling one’s attention away from their art. They suggest to artists with writer’s block to write down or talk to someone about thoughts or feelings they might have. They also include some tips on how to create art while feeling uninspired: 

1) Draw all your feelings out. It can be neat or messy, but it helps to get feelings down on paper.

2) Watch a film you enjoy and draw a scene from it. This can serve as a study and distraction at the same time.

3) Don’t draw at all. Sometimes artists need a break from art, and that’s okay. Take a break and try again later on.

“Just keep trying and creating,” Musa advises, “Study people’s work… Just keep making things and you will eventually create something you like.”

Narjis Musa has, undoubtedly, created some fascinating pieces of art. The Marsha P. Johnson piece alone is extremely symbolic and moving; a huge congratulations to them for their hard work and dedication. Musa has planned to major in creative writing to improve their storytelling skills after high school, and eventually become a graphic novelist. Hopefully, future generations of Pentucket’s art students will admire Musa’s astonishing work, and recognize that high achievement is possible through passion and perseverance.