Two Paintings
“It mattered little that Thorns could not see; the light that emanated from my body would still find a way to bother him. Like building blocks, I too, could be rearranged. Would he prefer me more in an altered state? When he told me he loved me, I echoed the sentiment (we were both liars). Love is one creature, familiarity another.”
“To be embraced is to be consumed. Is an embrace protection against the evil that lurks outside? But is it possible instead for evil to lurk amongst us? They just wanted to do a little looking after. Did they realize that I could barely breathe? Perhaps love comes in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes, it is a fleshy tongue coiled around your body.”
The main subject of both the paintings is Echo, the yellow creature with horns, who later turns brown. All other characters, such as Thorns (the antagonist), are metaphors, each reflecting different facets of familial love. Thorns, specifically, symbolizes the boundaries and borders inherent in love, particularly within families. The paintings explore how love often demands conformity: to belong, one must meet certain expectations or fit into predefined roles.
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– Ishma Fahim is a Lahore-based artist who specializes in miniature painting with a surrealist approach, exploring themes of childhood, belonging, and memory. A graduate of Kinnaird College for Women, her work has been showcased in notable exhibitions, including the 19th Alhamra Young Artist Exhibition (2023), the 3rd Anna Molka Awards (2023), Alliance Française de Lahore (2024), Artcade Gallery Islamabad (2024), and Shakir Ali Museum (2024). Upcoming exhibition venues include VM Art Gallery, Karachi (2025), and Pakistan Art Forum (2025). She can be found on Instagram @ishma.jpg.
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