Bismah Hayat is a visual artist based in Lahore, Pakistan. She completed her BFA (Printmaking) from National College of Arts, Lahore in 2020. She continuously explores innovative techniques and follows a natural flow of research and idea development where she consciously fuses her varied interests of philosophy in the hope of investigating her concerns. She has previously displayed her work at PNCA, Islamabad. Her work has also been a part of “Empowering Pakistan” exhibition held at World Bank, Islamabad.

“I enjoy working with physical materials. I explore innovative techniques that allow me to go beyond the limits that define printmaking. I enjoy fusing my varied interests of philosophy and playing around with forms/colors, in the hope of investigating my concerns.

I follow a natural flow of research and idea development, exploring all possible concepts. Through my process, I do stylized renditions of everyday objects and candid compositions to explore the line that separates them from their objectivity and bring them to the point of subjectivity where I further investigate how meaning is created for each individual by allowing them to see, observe, interpret and make decisions based on experience and memories.

The printmaking technique that I employ is quite playful as each shape and color in the visual has a separate printmaking plate, they are all inked separately and joined back together, something very similar to jigsaw puzzles.

I take inspiration from children's learning blocks and toys because of their big, colorful and graphic nature and how all of these elements are linked with identification and learning. I use the same elements, however, with an aim to “unlearn” and see things with a new perspective.

My primary aim is to investigate two pseudo-mathematic equations; 

1. Imagination = An Image = An Archive 

2. An Object = A Body = A Museum

These equations anatomize the inherent duality and artificiality in the world and how they further extend themselves into “identity” and then into the establishments (archive and the museum) that study the same “identity”. 

I intend to inquire the nature of an image, an object, the mind, the body, the museum and the archive discussed in these equations, as well as the equations themselves through their calculated linking, dismantling and reassembling. I’ll establish links between these equations and investigate theories that place these at the heart of the establishments mentioned above. To inform my own visual investigation, I’ll research artists based in America and Pakistan who are informed by the archive and the museum as well how artists have subverted the boundaries between object and an image. To further investigate “object” and an “image”, I’ll be heavily focused on the larger cultural context and status of commonplace artifacts and further altar the context within which we view the artifacts.

I have a real interest in making a positive change in the community through my practice, therefore, I will be actively focused on carrying out different activities among the community while maintaining the investigation since the interest itself brings two different cultures together. The different activities will involve learning innovative techniques together and organizing printmaking/drawing workshops.

Printmaking and drawing, as an intimate form of personal exploration will be central to my investigation. I’ll explore techniques to undermine my own boundaries of object and an image. Photography/Digital Manipulation will enable me to carry out the transformation necessary to turn objects into images. I will also evaluate my work through constant self-interrogation and daily reflections on my decisions and changes.

ARTIST LINKS

INSTAGRAM: @bismah_hayat

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