Maira Kalman

Books for children, magazine covers for intellectuals, and products for modern design junkies. These are just a few of the things that fall into Maira Kalman’s wide range of talents. Over Maira’s successful career she has created design classics like the blue sky umbrella sold by The Musuem of Modern Art (a collaboration with her late husband Tibor Kalman for the M&Co studio) and her illustrations for the popular guide to writing style, The Elements of Style. Equally iconic is her post-9/11 map of “New Yorkistan” on the cover of The New Yorker (a collaboration with Rick Meyerowitz.) Learn more about this creative guru in her 10 ANSWERS below.

1. How would you describe your work in three words?
Short. Funny. Narrative.

2. Who is your creative role model?
Pina Bausch. Charlotte Salomon. Lewis Carroll. Ludwig Bemelmans.

3. If you had an extra hour each day what would you do with it?
Walk around more. Draw more. Help people more.

4. What place in the world most inspires you and why?
New York City. It is endlessly interesting. Though one does need to get away for a bit of ocean or pine forest.

5. If you could do a different job for a day what would it be and why?
A maid in a palace. I like palaces, and I like to put things in order.

6. What is your favorite homemade gift to give?
A drawing in a note. Or a cake.

7. What is your favorite object in your home?
My bed. The person who invented the bed was a genius.
The person who thought of pillows is another genius. Not to mention the blanket inventor.

8. What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Keep working no matter what. Hard to do sometimes.

9. What websites do you use for inspiration?
None. I look for inspiration from music, architecture, fashion, people that I see on the street. The serendipity of life.

10. When do you consider a piece of your work complete?
When I have had enough of it and want to go on to the next thing.