Student Spotlight: Yekta Mousavi

By Staff Writers Scarlett Huang and Vikram Mahajan

More than a decade of persistence and dedication has taken Sophomore Yekta Mousavi from childhood sketches in Iran to statewide recognition in CA. Mousavi recently attended the CA Mock Trial Finals as the Courtroom Artist for MSJ Mock Trial, one of the select few artists across CA’s thousands of Mock Trial teams to qualify, exemplifying her long standing talent for and dedication toward her artwork.

As a child, Mousavi attended art classes in Iran as a hobby, but she was forced to give up the interest when she moved to America at five years old. This dormant interest remained untouched until she received a drawing tablet in sixth grade, which reignited her love for art. With a flame rekindled, Mousavi began posting her art on DeviantArt, an online art forum, in middle school and amassed hundreds of viewers. 

Mousavi’s artistic journey was remarkably self-driven, as she developed her considerable talent in art without a teacher or instructor but rather through personal study. She began learning to draw more seriously during the coronavirus pandemic, when schools were on lockdown and the Internet was flush with useful resources for aspiring artists like herself. “During the coronavirus pandemic, I had a lot of free time, so I started to follow along with art YouTubers that caught my eye … I remember even considering art as a career,” Mousavi said. 

She has already taken the formative steps toward that art career over her time in high school, establishing herself in the local art community. She has been a consistent designer of the official Class of 2027 Homecoming merchandise, through which she gained recognition with students not just in Class of 2027 but across all grades. Within her personal artistic journey, Mousavi is especially proud of her multicultural mural in Stephen Millard Elementary School. Mousavi spent 50 hours over the course of a week to individually complete the mural, which is now displayed in the middle of Stephen Millard Elementary. In the MSJ community, Yekta recently won the “People’s Choice” award for the Art 2 and 3 category during the Visual Arts Showcase at this year’s Spring Expo. Through these artistic projects and positions, Mousavi always strives to improve her own abilities, using these experiences, as well as persistence, to become the prodigal artist she is today.

Despite her successes, Mousavi’s journey as an artist hasn’t always been smooth. As an artist, creative and mental blocks are constant obstacles. “I wonder sometimes if I’m even good enough to pursue art in the future … self-doubt is the biggest obstacle I’ve ever faced,” Mousavi said. Yet, her success as an artist is evident in her accomplishments, something that was only possible when she addressed her own mentality. “I realized that I could think ‘maybe I’m not good enough right now, but if I work hard enough one day I’ll get there,’ and this really motivated me,” Mousavi said.

As a creator who has nearly 50 art posts on her account @yekitata on Instagram, Mousavi has a prolific presence on social media, where she enjoys sharing her art. In the future, Mousavi is considering applying for and attending prestigious art schools such as CalArts, Sheridan, and the Rhode Island School of Art and Design. Ultimately, Mousavi hopes to one day make a career out of doing what she loves. “I think a lot of people are scared of pursuing art as a career because of the stereotypes surrounding the path … but there is potential to achieve art as a career if you are really passionate … instead of pursuing something you don’t want,” Mousavi said.