Some exhibitions are truly enchanting. Lahore-based artist Bushra Waqas Khan merged art, couture and magic in ‘Fairy Tales’, held recently at the Canvas Gallery in Karachi. Her displays included propped up dresses, designed and crafted with intricate detail, to perfection.

“Despite the fact that fairy tale writing was widely recognised as the domain of women, it was a man who published it,” says the artist in her statement. “Dress plays a crucial role in fairy tales, signalling the status, wealth or variety of particular characters, and symbolising their transformation.”

In ‘Fairy Tales’ the artist delves into the cultural origins of fairy tales in 17th-century Europe, the emotional reasoning for the attachment to fairy tales, particularly looking at it from the lens of miniature dresses, to evoke the creative tingling of a dream, wonder and imagination.

The artist notes that, “[The saying] ‘Once Upon A Time’ keeps our utopian longing for a better world that can be created out of our dreams and actions.”

As a graduate of the National College of Arts in printmaking, Khan's interdisciplinary approach to art pushes the boundaries of what art can be. Her previous exhibitions have also featured miniature Victorian dresses and gowns with motifs and patterns drawn on affidavit paper. And she does the same in ‘Fairy Tales’.

An artist uses her training as a printmaker to craft illusions in miniature dresses that seem to possess a magic of their own

Affidavit paper holds a special significance for the artist. She once said in an interview for these very pages that, “To me it is not just a piece of paper. In terms of concept, the document is a marker of possession. Whether you are getting married, divorced or want to possess land, it will involve signing an affidavit.

“The paper is passed down from generation to generation…it is a never-ending exchange, like an heirloom. But it also overpowers us, because it carries the promise of wealth, joy, sadness: it carries the weight of time.

“So, what happens when such possessions become your attire? I was also considering how women, like the dresses I make, are regarded as possessions meant to be passed from one hand to another… except that I wish women in our society were taken care of and valued as much as that piece of paper!

“In terms of design, I was fascinated because it takes me back to my practice as a printmaker. If you look closely, the left side is not entirely equal to the right side. Perhaps so it cannot be forged? There is a whole system behind the construction, craftsmanship and composition of the affidavit, which is there to be decoded.

“When people look at my little dresses they should feel the same way. There is much to discover, because I can manipulate and end up surprising the viewer in the end,” she finishes.

And she does exactly that in ‘Fairy Tales’ — creating an illusion of carved paper in the dresses when, in reality, it’s printed fabric created out of stamp prints through strategic position and repetition. You can’t help but wistfully hope that one day, these pint-sized creations translate into full, ‘human-sized’ dresses someday, so the fairy tale can finally come true!

‘Fairy Tales’ was on display at Canvas Gallery, Karachi from November 29-December 9, 2022

Published in Dawn, EOS, December 18th, 2022