Aisha Hussain celebrates the love we have forgotten

The artist combines photo etchings with love letters

KARACHI: In an attempt to relive the memories of the past - especially those pertaining to love - artist Aisha Abid Hussain took to old wedding photographs and love letters exchanged during courtship by members of her family.

An exhibition of her works titled ‘Before it fades’ opened at Koel Gallery on March 12 and is set to run till March 21. Hussain, who teaches at the National College of Arts and Beaconhouse National University in Lahore, is displaying her works in a solo show for the second time in Karachi.

The artist’s choice of medium and material reinforced the celebration of love and diminishing letters written in the past. Relief prints on Somerset paper and lead pencil on wasli helped her achieve the desired effect. Looking at her works was like a journey back to the pre-Partition era when people relied on letters.

"My family and its rich history inspired me,” said Hussain. “I used the archives of family wedding photographs and love letters exchanged between couples during courtship. My recent body of work is a critique on the precedent of love that resides in marriage.”

The combination of photo etchings and love letters work to the benefit of the artist. "I used original photos and exposed the negative plates which helped me to turn them into embossed pictures."

Talking about the choice of her theme, Hussain said that she wanted the younger generation to celebrate the idea of simple love and, at the same time, experience the beauty of relationships in the digital era. "Memory is the trace of a wave,” she said. “It is a goodbye made with a slightly clenched fist."

The artist described her twin works, titled ‘Faqt Tumhara’ and ‘Sirf Tumhari’, as the most effective words written at the end of any letter in the 50s. "Writing these words repeatedly is to express the beauty of these two words have which have somehow lost their charm today," said Hussain.

Working for more than six hours a day, Hussain takes 10 days to complete one piece. "I came up with the idea of working with old letters and pictures because I want people to celebrate what we have forgotten."

While playing a sound clip titled ‘Banam Saeeda’ which was a recording of the letter she wrote, Hussain said that it was good enough to take you back four decades and feel the sensation.

She also commented on her use of material and medium. "The white photo etchings and the faded effect in letters is the essence of the works," she said. Explaining her love for art, she said that art is just a fashion symbol and not mature in Pakistan. "Some people buy art because they love it and understand it but most buy it because it’s fashion."