Biography
Zahra Farooq is a South Florida resident, artist, and art teacher. Her Pakistani and Muslim roots have heavily influenced her artistic practices and advocacy for the arts. In 2016, she received her master's degree in Teaching of the Arts and Art Education from FIU. Farooq shares her passion for art and art history with her colleagues, the school administration, and, most importantly, her students by highlighting different cultures through her teaching techniques. Farooq has supported her students in countless state and county exhibitions, including at the Youth Fair, the MDCPS Superintendent Exhibition, the Miami International Airport, and Florida State Art Exhibition for students. In October 2020, she received the Ellies Teacher Travel Grant from Oolites Art to further study Islamic art. As an educator, she furthers her own artistic education by learning and practicing different techniques, mediums, and skills, which she teaches her students. She not only shares her passion for the arts with her students in the classroom but also by advocating for the arts outside the classroom. As an integrated member of the STEAM Committee, she oversees the SECME banner competition.
While an educator, she continues to hone her craft as an artist, entering her work into different art exhibitions. Currently, her works are on display at the FIU’s Superintendent Suite, FIU President House, and the City of Miami Competition. She has won numerous awards, including the Florida New Professional Award, and Dade Art Educators Association, and FAEA Local Art Educator Association Leader Award. Her advocacy for the art of teaching is shared through mentoring new teachers through the local art educator's association. Farooq has taught successful workshops at the district and state level. Currently, she is the President-Elect of the Dade Art Educators Association. In 2020-2021 she was a resident artist in a studio space at Miami International Mall, which allowed her to interact with the community and other artists to do group projects locally.
Artist Statement
Heading 5
As a Muslim artist and educator based in Miami, Florida, my work is rooted in a deep connection to nature, culture, and spiritual expression. I primarily work in oil, creating landscape paintings that reflect the serene beauty of the natural world through a warm, earthy palette. Earth tones—rich ochres, deep siennas, soft greens, and dusty blues—dominate my canvases, echoing both the tranquility of the land and the groundedness I seek in my practice.
My landscapes are more than visual representations; they are meditative spaces. They reflect not only the physical environment but also emotional terrains—places of memory, identity, and reflection. As someone who finds constant inspiration in my cultural heritage, I also teach Islamic arts workshops, sharing the intricate geometry, calligraphy, and spiritual symbolism that have shaped Islamic visual traditions for centuries. These workshops are a bridge—between tradition and contemporary practice, between my community and broader audiences.
Teaching art lessons, whether in local schools, community centers, or my own studio, is central to who I am. I see education as an act of empowerment and connection. As a Muslim woman in the arts, I strive to create inclusive, reflective spaces where creativity and culture can coexist freely and without compromise.In every brushstroke, every lesson, and every community project, my aim is to foster understanding, beauty, and presence. Art allows me to honor where I come from and the landscapes—both physical and spiritual—that continue to shape me.