Exploration of Irregularity: An Interview with Bushra Fatima by Matt Brown

Bushra Fatima is a second-year student at Simon Fraser University pursuing a major in Art, Performance, and Cinema Studies. She recently received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2017 but has been involved in the arts for ten years. We discussed everything from the current state of the world, her career plans, and a past work that exemplifies her artistic vision.

— Matt Brown

Matt Brown

What sort of themes do you pursue in your painting and drawing? 

Bushra Fatima

I mainly do still life painting, and I don’t paint them exactly the way they are. I paint what I see and understand from the objects. In my final year of my undergraduate degree, I was asked to pick a topic for my thesis and chose the title Perfectly Imperfect. I painted still life paintings, but distorted them, because I see them distorted instead of the way they are. So, I changed the shape, the colours, and the background, because I don’t see them as perfect. The overall theme is that imperfection also has beauty. 

MB

Thank you for sharing. Was it a public installation? 

BF

Yes, it was a public installation. 

MB

What sort of response did it have with people who saw it?

BF

I was very surprised — I wasn’t expecting such positive feedback. Many people appreciated my theme and even bought my paintings. I was not expecting this. 

Bushra Fatima

Perfectly Imperfect, 2017

Acrylic on canvas

MB

What leads you from point A to having a finished work? 

BF

It depends. I gave the example of my painting, Perfectly Imperfect. My process is that I photograph still life objects, then transfer the photograph into my laptop and edit it in Photoshop. I distort it, change the shape of the objects, and change the colours. Then I print it out and transfer the edited photo onto the canvas, using columns and rows. After drawing it onto the canvas, I choose the palette and colours (should I keep the colours the way they appear in the photograph, or should I change the colours according to my imagination?). Then, after completing the painting, I look at it and judge whether I must improve it or add something more. 

MB

I love that. Do you see yourself as more of an independent worker, or are you drawn to collaboration? 

BF

I would love both. I have never worked with other artists before, so I don’t know what kind of experience that would be. Every artist has a different way of thinking, so it would be good to collaborate with others to gain more perspectives and to share ideas. It will provide more knowledge about techniques and career development. So, I think it will be important to collaborate with other artists.

MB

What’s your dream project? 

BF

Right now, I paint medium sized canvases, but I want to do mural paintings. I want to paint on a big wall, have a painting in a gallery. I want people to recognize my name and appreciate my work. I want people to see my progress in painting, how far I have come. And I don’t want to make random paintings — I want to have constant themes behind my paintings. This is my dream. I have been trying to find opportunities here in Vancouver, but COVID-19 has restricted everything. I’m hoping there is a change so that I can start my art career.

MB

I hope we are able to see a return to normal, whenever that is.