We had been messaging a lot about collaborations and our flourishing friendship, and one day she messaged about a Valentine’s Day card I had made. One rainy afternoon, I was DMing with Sanjana from one of my favourite creators ever. What led towards the creation of Brown Girl Memes? As life progresses, so does my artwork and style, so I think my plan is to keep growing and exploring my skillset. What is the future plan for your artwork?Īs of now, I don’t have a particular plan for my work, but the biggest takeaway is growth. She is hands down my art hero and I think she truly paved the way for south Asian creatives in mainstream media. Not to mention that she’s Canadian as well.
#Girl power picture series#
The series includes pieces like It’s called Mehendi, not Henna Tattoo and It’s called Naan, not Naan Bread.Īlongside many south Asians, my favourite artist and the artist who makes me feel proud is Maria Qamar, the name behind She is an incredible artist – her work is fabulous! It represents, entertains and teaches the south Asian community and beyond about common south Asian experiences, especially as a brown woman. I was so frustrated with non-south Asians embracing south Asian culture without knowing the proper pronunciation, terminology and appreciation for the culture, so I created a series that corrected those mistakes with the hopes of growing appreciation versus appropriation.
That piece resonated with a lot of people and even turned into a series on my page. I think my favourite piece is one called It’s Chai, Not Chai Tea. Which is your own favourite piece that you have created? Having this platform is incredible because I can represent diverse identities and still be myself and represent myself. Now, I feel like I have learnt so much from the community and am able to represent people, which ultimately connects so many to my work. When I started I never had the intention of influencing anyone. How much does it mean to you that so many connect with your artwork? I have a very consistent art style, no eyes and bigīushy brows, but I’m really excited about my current growth and think it is the most memorable because I’m trying so many new things. I think growing my art style is the most memorable.
What has been one of the most memorable moment in your art journey? I love pulling from different places to create my art, but I think the majority of inspiration comes from my environment, friends and family.
My environment inspires me a lot! I’m really inspired by my own south Asian culture and heritage, as well as current trends and notable topics. My relationship with my cultural identity definitely fuels my artwork and because I have had such a relatable experience with my identity, my art is able to share messages, and allows for others to feel represented as well. I think it was the fact I wanted to represent myself in artwork and create pieces that represent my cultural identity, whether that be the North American influence or my south Asian heritage. I’m not sure if anything specific led me there. What led you towards the unique message-driven digital art that you create? She has also become a strong symbol of girl power with her fearless approach and seems unstoppable.Įastern Eye caught up with Zoe Harveen to discuss her amazing artwork, radio show, brown girl memes, future plans, desi girl horrors and the best advice she ever got. The rapidly rising Canadian star kicked on from there to forge an impressive career that has mixed up meaningful art with making an impact on social media and across the airwaves on her uniquely titled radio show Desi Girl Horrors. The imaginative bond began after she created a portrait of Mother Teresa as a kid, which was so good that it is still hanging in the reception area of her elementary school. Show, Zoe Harveen Kaur has a strong connection to creativity. WHETHER it is designing jewellery, creating eye-catching digital artwork, entertaining social media followers with the popular Brown Girl Memes or hosting an empowering global radio THE RAPID CREATIVE RISE OF DIGITAL ARTIST, SOCIAL MEDIA STAR AND RADIO HOST ZOE HARVEEN KAUR Zoe Harveen Kaur: Painting a perfect picture of girl power