Joy + Sarcasm is the studio practice of Zara Contractor:a graphic designer by training, maker by compulsion.

This story began in Vancouver, where my bff Ashley and I made contemporary polymer clay earrings. Alas, a lot has changed since then. Ashley made a tiny human, decided to prioritize him (rude!), and unceremoniously took away some of the Joy…leaving you, dear reader, with a whole lot more Sarcasm.

Meanwhile, I left the ‘Wet Coast’ for Ontario and decided it was time to overhaul the studio. So what can you expect now? Less ear candy, more everything else. Paint, clay, glass, cloth, paper—we’re* in our making era, and we’re creating whatever we want.

A small landscape watercolour that whispers “Out of Office”? Yep. Hand-painted stemware that screams “black tie and bad decisions”? Obviously. If it can be painted, shaped, cut, folded, or made unnecessarily fabulous, it’s fair game.

As for the person responsible for all of this: Hi! I’m a caffeine-dependent life form, an active procrastinator, and an embracer of creative chaos. I have a penchant for plants and typography in equal measure, speak three languages (though I’m most fluent in sarcasm), and can almost always be bought with cheese, chocolate, or puppy snuggles.

Bringing all of that energy into the studio is either a brilliant move or a recipe for disaster. TBD. All I can say is, pull up a chair, cupcake. It’s about to get fun!

*The royal “we.” This is a one-woman show, but my abandonment issues mean we’ll be using collective pronouns for the foreseeable future.