Maria, who now lives in Toronto, Canada, moved there with her parents - a Bangladeshi father and a Gujarati mother - in 1991 when she was nine years old. Take a look back at what’s been inspiring our team over the last two years! And for some drool-worthy visuals from our Shillington students, read 16 handmade album covers and 14 app designs.Maria Qamar (26) or as she’s known on Instagram and Twitter deals with issues like mixed-marriages, dysphoria, and cultural appropriation through art. If I were to ever write, her work would be the example I follow. This summer I watched her latest work- I May Destroy You-and was absolutely floored by how she seamlessly weaved a true tale on a heavy subject with such grace and realness and the surprising touches of humor. I became a fan years ago when I watched Chewing Gum and couldn’t stop laughing.

She’s a fantastic storyteller that grounds all her work in authenticity supported by nuance. I will sing the praises of Michaela Coel for the rest of my life. It’s a great listen if you’re anything like me and enjoy listening to talented people talking about the things they are passionate about/made. Each episode focuses on how a popular song was created-from the idea, to the production, to the reaction after it was out in the world. Song Exploder is as a podcast and a show on Netflix. Her prints are brightly colored with a 70s vibe design wise, and feature copy like “Don’t Sit On My Bed In Your Outside Clothes” and “I Can’t Believe It’s Not A Relationship”. Brownie Points for You is a store that sells all kinds of goods made by Rinny Perkins.

I decorate my walls with pieces not found at big box stores so I sometimes I have to scour the internet for art. I’m a homebody, so I really like decorating my apartment. In this case, she creates illustrations based on melodramatic South Asian soap operas but in the style of Roy Lichtenstein. 1) It’s a humorous take on how to navigate life with overbearing aunties (not restricted to blood relatives, in this case) and 2) It’s a perfect example of one of my favorite phenoms: pop culture mashups. Trust No Aunty by Maria Qamar is an old favorite of mine for a couple of reasons. The two make a lot of videos of Hayes dressing up and recreating popular bits from pop culture whether it be album covers or a scene from a cartoon.

Lili Hayes is a woman seemingly living her life to the fullest, with her son by her side. So, on the first Friday of each month, we’re sharing some of our Shillington team’s favourite things from the past four weeks. This month, Shillington New York Teacher Deepa Shanbhag shares what was on her radar in October. #FridayFive with Shillington Design Teacher Deepa Shanbhag