Maria Iqbal is slightly uneasy about using the term “pop art” to describe her work. Yes, her creations are vibrant, colourful and contemporary, but the term pop art can have quite narrow connotations, she says. “When you say pop art, people think super heroes and [Roy] Lichtenstein. But pop art is so much more than that. For me, it means art that is inspired by its time. My work is inspired by current issues and by the things that are important to me.”
I first interviewed Iqbal in 2012, in the tiny Al Quoz space that served as her studio at the time. Her focus then was largely on furniture and home accessories chairs and cushions emblazoned with her bold, often outrageous, always eye-catching artwork. Born in Afghanistan and raised in Dubai, Iqbal had just left a long-standing career in advertising to focus on her art. Since then, her oeuvre has expanded considerably and now includes the customisation of both fashion and furniture. Fun, one-off works by the artist are to be found on everything from sculptural vanity tables and throne-like chairs to Hermès handbags and Manolo Blahnik shoes.
“In both interiors and fashion, people want everything customised," she tells me. "I don’t really distinguish between being a furniture or fashion designer; I’m an artist. Today, I just happen to be painting on shoes.”
There is an interesting psychology behind the trend, as Iqbal sees it. “I think it’s a bit of a statement for some people – if I have the means to customise this designer bag, it means I probably have 10 others like it in my wardrobe. Also, if I am willing to invest in customising a bag, it must be real, rather than a fake, otherwise why spend so much money on it?”
Today, Iqbal works out of a studio space in her home in Jumeirah 2. In addition to her furniture creations and customisation services, she creates clothing, employing a full-time tailor to lend a hand. She has built her business on a combination of old-fashioned word of mouth and savvy social media use – and has also, unwittingly, evolved into something of a role model.
Mercedes-Benz recently invited her to be part of its #ShesMercedes initiative and the resultant video received more than 5.3 million views. “I had all these young women from Afghanistan writing to me, telling me that I’d inspired them. I realised that I have this opportunity to speak to young women, especially those living in countries like my own. Because I’ve lived those experiences. I had a very traditional upbringing and I’ve had my struggles. I’m not saying that I’m digging trenches; I just want to show that as a woman, you can make a respectable living doing something that you love."
Feeding into her view that pop art should address the issues of its time, Iqbal’s next collection will explore the issue of female empowerment – but in her very specific style. “As I’ve grown as an artist, I’ve become more and more interested in what is happening around me. For my next collection, I’d like to do something with more of a message,” she says. “I will still do tongue-in-cheek, fun, happy work. I’m not going to do sad work, that’s just not me, but I’d like to send out a message, using humour, that talks about the issues I’m interested in.”
sdenman@thenational.ae
