Jarrod Stone’s Faith:33 is a deeply personal fusion of spirituality and lived experience, rooted in both the life of Jesus Christ and his own upbringing on 33rd Street. Through layered visuals that blend biblical narratives with intimate, real-world moments, Jarrod creates work that feels both sacred and grounded. Using light, mood, and emotion as unifying elements, his paintings reflect resilience, guidance, and the presence of faith in everyday life—offering viewers a powerful reminder that faith isn’t distant, but something lived, felt, and carried through every season.
Jarrod, Faith:33 sounds like a deeply personal and layered project. What inspired you to begin this series?
What inspired FAITH: 33 was the connection between my personal story and my spiritual foundation. The number 33 represents the years of Jesus Christ’s life on earth, but it also connects directly to where I was raised — 33rd Street.
Growing up in the inner city, faith wasn’t something abstract. It was something I held onto. I come from a faith-based family, and I spent a lot of time with my nana, who introduced me to God at an early age. Those conversations stayed with me and shaped how I see the world.
This series is my way of bringing those two worlds together — biblical narratives and lived experience. It reflects how faith shows up not just in scripture, but in everyday life, especially in moments of pressure, uncertainty, and growth.
FAITH: 33 is both a reflection on Christ’s life and a personal testimony of how faith has carried me through my own journey.
You’re blending biblical, contemporary, and personal themes. How do you approach weaving those different elements together in your work?
I approach it by focusing on the connection between scripture and real life. For me, faith isn’t separate from everyday experience — it’s lived.
Some pieces draw directly from biblical moments, while others come from personal or contemporary experiences, but I use mood, lighting, and emotion to unify them. That allows everything to exist in the same space.
At the core, my goal is to show that faith moves through all of it — past, present, and personal.
The title Faith:33 is intriguing. What significance does “33” hold within the context of this series?
The number 33 holds both spiritual and personal significance for me. It represents the 33 years of Jesus Christ’s life on earth, which anchors the biblical foundation of the series.
At the same time, it connects to my own story — I grew up on 33rd Street. That intersection between Christ’s life and my lived experience is where this series was born.
FAITH: 33 brings those two meanings together, showing how faith isn’t just something we read about, but something we live through every day.
How does your own lived experience shape the visual language and emotion behind each painting?
My lived experience shapes the mood, lighting, and emotion in each piece. Growing up in the inner city, I lean into quiet, intimate moments that reflect resilience and real-life pressure.
Light often represents guidance and God’s presence, even in difficult situations. So whether the subject is biblical or personal, it’s all filtered through that lived experience.
As this body of work develops, what do you hope viewers take away or feel when they engage with the series?
I hope viewers see themselves in the work and realize that faith isn’t distant — it’s present in everyday life.
I want them to feel a sense of connection, reflection, and reassurance, especially in moments of pressure or uncertainty.
More than anything, I hope the work reminds people that even when they feel alone, they’re still covered and carried.
