Maria Qamar pop art twist appeals Indian diaspora

BY NewsGram News Desk

New Delhi: Comic stories and caricatures are one of the most fun paperbacks to read. What makes them more interesting is a touch of wit and humour.

Maria Qamar, 24-year-old Pakistani-Canadian, inspired by the aesthetics of Roy Lichtenstein, offers a satirical and unique insight into desi culture.

She is bringing in her sharp-witted tone as well as her local experiences of the "desi world" that is normally referred to as 'aunties' to the mainstream, through her art. Her satirical take is especially being appreciated by the young people from the Indian diaspora.

The Indian diaspora enjoys these comic strips as it takes them back to their desi experiences. The comic talks about local aunties and people, emphasising on their everyday conversations.

She is taking up, what already exists [in our culture] and laughs about it like an inside joke. She is highly inspired by Indian aunties and tries to draw more of them and seeks inspiration from Hindi daily soaps and Bollywood.

Qamar was speaking to a TV channel, BBC, when she pointed out some interesting tidbits about the women in her (and our) lives. She talked about women in our families who like to gossip about our lives for no logic or reasoning. She wondered why some of them would try to become her mom by trying to talk to her mother about several issues related to her.

She said that the women would try to know some of the intimate things like "bowel movements or blood type." Adding how it might trouble you at times, she said, "Sometimes they plot to get you in trouble. Some of them even say they can use black magic… They go to extremes to make your life difficult," she added.

Qamar has now turned into an entrepreneur and sells her work in exhibiting through her Hatecopy brand. She said the snowballing interest in her cultural expression had compelled her to alter the way she works on her art. As per the artist, she now treated her innovativeness more like a business.

"However, I refuse to do straight up cultural appropriation e.g. making Marilyn Monroe into an 'auntie'. I won't take that step," she was quoted as saying to the news channel.