After getting laid off from her copywriting job in 2015, Maria Qamar started spending her free time on her favourite hobby: doodling satirical, comic book–style pop art inspired by her life as a South Asian woman. She posted her doodles on Instagram under the name Hatecopy (a not-so-subtle jab at her career) and soon realized that the subversive humour behind her pieces was resonating with a wide audience. Then, in 2016, she caught a couple of big breaks: she appeared on the cover of Elle Canada alongside Lilly Singh, and her work was featured on Mindy Kaling’s series The Mindy Project. These days, Qamar sells her in-demand designs in the form of T-shirts, plates and posters. Last year, she put on an exhibition called Bloody Phool at the Richard Taittinger Gallery in New York, and this month, she’s debuting a new installation at Artist Project in Toronto. Here are the pieces she’s loving right now.
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Imperfect vase
Japanese artist Kazunori Hamana makes clay pots and leaves them outdoors to be marked by the elements. “I love the ‘live and let go’ idea behind Hamana’s work,” says Qamar. “It’s how I feel about the internet. Once you put something online, it can be taken in any context.”
Porcelain PC
Gaming gear brand Corsair made this ceramic computer decorated with traditional Chinese designs—and with space for a tea set inside. “As both a gamer and an artist, I find this very cool. It’s a one-off, but it would be an incredible collector’s item.”
Vibrant chattai
Delhi-based NorBlack NorWhite designs playful textiles that are handmade in India, like this chattai—a kind of picnic blanket—made from recycled plastic. “I love this super-cute nod to the chattais that are so popular back home.”
Metallic sofa
Italian furniture brand Living Divani makes this modular sofa to order. “I’m a big sci-fi person, and I love that it looks like a spaceship. It also makes me think of being a baked couch potato in aluminum foil.”
Striking art
Colombian painter Santiago Parra’s pieces feature bold black lines that are splattered with varying degrees of care and aggression. “The level of IDGAF Parra’s art evokes in my soul brings me so much joy. The black-and-white scheme matches my interior design style, and I love the goth vibe.”
Retro TV
The vintage JVC Videosphere, shaped like a space helmet, was designed in the ’70s and is fully functional. “It would be so much fun to plug in a Nintendo and play Duck Hunt. I love the colour—it looks like something out of Star Trek.”
Feminine sculpture
This giant bronze sculpture in London’s King’s Cross, titled Seated, is by New York artist Tschabalala Self. “I saw it in passing on Instagram, and then I dreamed that it was in the foyer of a house. The sheer scale, the coolness of the pose and the colour scheme all blow my mind. And if you see something in a dream, it must be destiny.”