YOU HAVE TO LIVE THE CRAFT TO MAKE THE CRAFT
“Web3 has made it possible for me to dream in a way that I couldn’t even fathom three years ago.”
Bushra Khan speaks her name out loud. “Names hold weight – they are the first thing we’re given when we come into the world.”
Growing up in a traditional community, Bushra was urged to be quiet; she wasn’t supposed to be the loudest in the room, and should become a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. But life had a different plan for her. While other children were outside playing, she was inside, learning how to draw hands.
Bushra went from being in an art class to Instagram and then Twitter. When her good friend All Smilesss minted his first NFT, Bushra was hooked. He helped her to onboard, and Bushra dropped her first NFT on Clubhouse. “The great thing about the NFT space is that once you find the right people for you, they just want to see you win. We celebrate each other, and that’s our version of collaboration. I am so privileged to be surrounded by many children of immigrant parents who are trying to be artists. web3 has made it possible for me to dream in a way that I couldn’t even fathom three years ago.”
Is web3 as equitable for women as it should be? “I see us all as artists, but I’ve had experiences where someone who wants to collect my art starts flirting with me. I never thought that I would have to question whether they like my art or are just using it as an excuse to talk to me. In Twitter rooms, I’m often the only woman on stage. I don’t think it’s done intentionally, but it’s definitely something that’s there.”
Prepping for an art piece IRL takes time, but with Procreate and her iPad, Bushra can focus on composing her pieces in a more complex and “extravagant” way. She also writes a poem for almost all of her artworks. “The poems for my pieces are art within themselves.”
Something Bushra feels does need to be spoken about is the expectation of constant output, which puts a lot of pressure on artists. “That’s not normal, you know? My art is my life, and I need to live my life to create art. People need to be more understanding that art is a craft and you have to live the craft to make the craft.”
“I’m also trying to get back into all sorts of physical mediums moving onward. There’s something intimate about painting and sculpting with clay that can’t be replicated with a screen.”
