Over the Influence presents the first solo exhibition of Pakistani artist Bisma Hussain, titled “It’s Already Tomorrow.” The exhibition showcases a series of oil paintings centered around family life, depicting the artist’s daily life at home due to illness. While the scenes may seem ordinary, they are imbued with the artist’s resilience and spirit.
Hussain was born and raised in Lahore, Pakistan, and began using painting as a way to distract from chronic pain at the age of 16. She faced skepticism from others due to her physical illness, so painting became an important way for her to transform pain, loneliness, and setbacks, and to express suppressed feelings.
In Hussain’s work, we can easily see her focus on home interior decoration, which stems from her years of being confined at home due to pain that prevented her from going out. This allowed her to pay more attention to observing the details of life. As a result, she turned the scenes and objects within her sight into creative subjects, including bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms, where she carefully arranged soft cushioned chairs, potted plants, framed mirrors, towels, cups, and other small items, creating a warm sense of home.
The painter pays great attention to the details of objects, even delicately depicting the wrinkled state of fabrics. Although her extraordinary ability to depict depth, perspective, and detail gives her work a realistic quality, her stylized approach to color and form pushes her work to the boundaries of surrealism. Hussain uses vibrant hues to showcase optimism, happiness, and resilience in the face of adversity. She balances the distorted shapes of the figures with bright Prussian blue, cadmium red, and geranium pink, revealing the coexistence of sadness and hope.
The artist relies on strong emotions to drive her creative process, showcasing her personal experiences with chronic pain while also expressing her longing and joy for life. Feel free to visit the gallery and appreciate Hussain’s work up close!
“It’s Already Tomorrow”
Date: From now until October 22, 2022 (Sunday, closed on Mondays)
Time: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Location: G/F & 1/F, 159 Hollywood Road, Central
Image source and learn more: Over the Influence
