By: Zofeen Maqsood
August 15, 2019
If you are a desi girl and have lived in the subcontinent growing up, then chances are that sometime in your life you must have gotten an offer for Fraaandship from a fellow desi guy feeling overtly self-complacent about himself. Maria Qamar, who describes herself as a desi-pop artist, captures many such quirks and eccentricities of growing up desi through her artworks.
So, you would find themes such as overbearing South Asian aunties, desi traditions, gender inequality, the South Asian obsession with rishtas, nosy parents and much more presented in a fun, kitschy way.
Qamar, a breakout social media star, is currently having her first-ever solo show at the Richard Taittinger Gallery in New York. The exhibit, which runs from August 1 to September 2, has on display offbeat installations such as a giant lota (a mug South Asians often use in toilets) with “Shit Happens,” written in bold letters to samosa bean bag chairs to maggi noodle balloons.