Horrifying and haunting — this was the visceral reaction that Marium Agha’s oeuvre evoked in me upon entering the gallery. This begged the question: how can flowers be perceived as anything but beautiful? To truly understand this, one must immerse oneself in Agha’s work.

Curated by Sche­herezade Junejo, ‘Beautiful Nightmares’ at AAN Art Space and Museum provides a breath of fresh air amidst the plethora of group shows taking place in Karachi. Agha, with simplicity and eloquence, sets the stage for a profound conversation through her artworks. She defies conventional beauty concepts, offering a potent critique of why a man’s validation is deemed crucial for beauty standards.

Choosing flowers of all kinds as the embodiment of women’s beauty, Agha draws on the rich history of this symbolism in art. While the exact starting point is elusive, the association of flowers with feminine beauty has transcended cultures and historical periods. 

Each work displayed reflects Agha’s mastery over her chosen medium — thread and textile fabric. The vibrant florals woven with yarn on tapestries initially captivate with their beauty, yet they were simultaneously melting, losing their original form and identity.

Marium Agha’s artwork critiques the impact of the male gaze on women

This transformation confronts the reality that, while beauty remains, it becomes clouded, polluted and loses its intrinsic light, thus turning grim and lifeless. This is the juncture at which Agha’s work demands attention, urging viewers to decipher the underlying narrative. What force corrodes this symbol of beauty and love? It is the routine male gaze, stripping away a woman’s essence on a daily basis.

Agha adeptly illustrates these flowers losing their beauty and self-worth as the gaze descends upon them, such as in the artwork Nocturnal Terrors. The exposed eyeballs, intricately woven into the flowers, initially blend seamlessly, only to disrupt perception upon closer inspection. Transformed into eyes, the male gaze screams thirst, perpetuating the normalisation of objectification for personal pleasure.

Observing the flowers liberated from the gaze, one might perceive a slight freshness, yet they remain enveloped in an impending darkness, poised to affect and submerge them.

As the writer Madeline Waddell notes, the term ‘gaze’ was not always a critical term. It was synonymous with ‘glance’ before the 20th century. Agha portrays these flowers losing their beauty and self-worth as the gaze falls upon them, with eyes deeply embedded and woven within them. Initially appearing as a seamless part of the flowers, a closer inspection reveals them to be eyes.

Significantly, Agha employs threads, symb­olising stereotypes atta­ched to women, such as embroidery and stitching — traditionally considered women’s work.

The impact of the male gaze on women, explored in feminist literature and various artistic expressions, is deeply dist­urbing, especially when women feel unable to escape or assert control over their narratives. This experience, vividly portrayed in Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex, underscores the constant vigilance women may feel under the scrutiny of hostile eyes.

In ‘Beautiful Night­mares’, Agha courageously confronts and exposes the unsettling reality of the male gaze, inviting viewers to engage in a dialogue about the complex interplay between societal expectations, beauty norms and the empowerment of women through art. Her oeuvre serves as a poignant reminder of the need for conversations and reflections on the societal constructs that impact women’s lives.

‘Beautiful Nightmares’ is on display at AAN Art Space and Museum, Karachi from November 16-December 10, 2023

The writer is a Karachi-based journalist who writes about art and entertainment. She is also a media coordinator for the International Watercolour Society

Published in Dawn, EOS, December 3rd, 2023