Hector Barajas (b. 2002) is a Bay Area artist who joined NIAD Art Center in 2024. His recent paintings feature pop culture icons surrounded by adoring fans, tour vans, food, and song lyrics. Rapper and actor Ice Cube appears throughout this series as a favorite subject and style influence. To express his admiration, Barajas often inserts his own self-portrait alongside members of the musician’s entourage.Â
Barajas attends to his canvases with a sculptor’s sensibilities: layers of paint are applied in thick, sweeping brush strokes, and some images extend over the sides and onto the back surface. When lit from behind, hidden figures appear to amplify the crowd’s excitement as a star takes the stage or hits the road.Â
Hector Barajas has participated in numerous events hosted by NIAD, including the 2025 Artful Benefit Gala.
