Rupi Kaur, an Indian-Canadian poet, illustrator, and author, gained widespread recognition through social media platforms, particularly Instagram. Born in Punjab, India, she immigrated to Canada with her family at a young age. Her poetry collections, including the commercially successful "Milk and Honey," "The Sun and Her Flowers," and "Home Body," explore themes such as South Asian identity, immigration, femininity, and personal experiences.

Kaur's work is characterized by its simple language and accompanying line drawings, often addressing deeply personal and sometimes challenging subjects. She gained significant traction after a viral incident on Instagram involving her menstrual blood photographs, which sparked a conversation about censorship and societal taboos. Despite mixed critical reception, her accessible style and relatable themes have resonated with a large audience, leading to millions of copies sold and translations into numerous languages.

Born in Punjab, India, in 1992 to a Sikh family, Rupi Kaur immigrated to Canada at age three. Her upbringing in Brampton, Ontario, within a South Asian diaspora community, and her family's financial instability shaped her early life. Poetry was a significant part of her family's cultural and spiritual background, with her father analyzing verses and her mother encouraging artistic expression. Kaur experienced self-consciousness regarding her identity and accent, and her relationship with her parents, particularly her mother, was complex, marked by arguments often stemming from cultural preservation. Witnessing racism and abuse in her environment contributed to a sense of constant survival. She initially aspired to various careers before finding her voice through writing and performing poetry, which offered comfort amidst personal struggles and self-consciousness.

Kaur began performing poetry in 2009, finding the spoken-word format natural despite initial anxiety. Her early work, shared anonymously and later on Tumblr and Instagram, focused on articulating personal trauma and finding her voice. The platform Instagram became crucial for her rise, where she began sharing her poems accompanied by simple illustrations. A pivotal moment occurred in 2015 when Instagram removed her photographs depicting menstrual blood, which she had created for a university project challenging societal taboos. Her viral critique of the platform's censorship brought significant attention to her work. This incident, alongside her accessible style, positioned her as a leading figure in the "Instapoetry" movement, characterized by its direct language and exploration of relatable themes.

Kaur's debut collection, "Milk and Honey" (2014), was initially self-published and later re-released to massive commercial success, selling millions of copies and being translated into many languages. Her subsequent collections, "The Sun and Her Flowers" (2017) and "Home Body" (2020), continued to explore themes of identity, immigration, femininity, healing, and personal growth, drawing inspiration from her childhood and life experiences. Her poetry often addresses subjects like abuse, heartbreak, and self-love with stark honesty. While praised for its impact and accessibility, her verse has also faced criticism for its simplicity. Kaur's work is accompanied by her own line drawings, adding a visual dimension to her minimalist poetic style.

“Kaur recalled that poetry was a recurrent aspect of her faith, spirituality and everyday life: "There were evenings when my dad would sit around for hours, analyzing a single verse."”

“Kaur described her first show as "Like a damn hug"”

“Kaur stated she wanted to "find a voice, because I had been voiceless for so long".”

“Kaur stated that she would "agonize over each and every word."”

“Kaur stated that she took the stage surname of Kaur because "Kaur is the name of every Sikh woman – brought in to eradicate the caste system in India – and I thought, wouldn't it be empowering if a young Kaur saw her name in a book store?"”