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The closest thing on the menu to pakoras were mozzarella sticks, so it was a safe bet no aunty would spot her there and report the sighting back to Qamar's socially conservative parents. There are plenty of ways to feel like you’re pursuing your authenticity while also cherishing who you are and where you came from.In high school, if Maria Qamar wanted to meet a guy from school for a forbidden date, she'd usually propose they go to Applebee's. And that’s OK.Īt perhaps the core of Maria’s work is the idea that you don’t have to throw away your culture in order to be yourself. Now, Maria’s giving a voice to girls like her, who might love Indian soap operas and eat curry every day.

She took their discriminatory words to heart, thinking that who she was must have been wrong. Maria says she didn’t notice the hate coming her way until her pre-teens, when peers would throw things at her and follow her home. Born in Pakistan and raised in Canada, Maria would create small comic panels as a kid to cope with being bullied. Maria builds on what’s a growing wave of mainstream Desi culture her work is a cross-generational commentary. From the Desi pop art print featuring a woman saying “I burnt the rotis” to a print with the word “dishoom,” (AKA the sound a punch makes in a 1960s Bollywood movie), Maria’s work is unlike anything you’ve probably seen before. Her Instagram account and website of the same name features a tongue-in-cheek approach to Indian culture, such as the significance of aunties, which she also shares in her book, Trust No Aunty.

She’s not painting tepid landscapes, my friends. The layoff happened to be a blessing, as it gave her space to give art her all.Ĭertainly, Maria’s art didn’t put her family’s hesitation at bay. She worked as a copywriter, coming up with jingles for toilet paper and beverages-that is, until she was laid off.

Maria figured out a way to use her artistic pursuits for something that might come across as more of a “real job:” advertising.

Maria says that pursuing a career in the arts wasn’t just met with uncertainty from her scientist parents, but that it was met with aversion, as it seemed like an unstable pursuit. For those who have moms in that 0 percent category, cultural and familial beliefs can be some of the most difficult to break.Īrtist Maria Qamar is a first-generation Canadian who has done just that, despite her South Asian family’s disappointment. WOMAN TO WATCH: Maria Qamar, Artist & Owner of Instagram Account takes quite a bit of introspection and bravery to defy the expectations placed on you.