In the heart of the summer garden, the Chapel at St. Margaret’s House is a whimsical setting for the Happily Ever After: Rethinking a Fairytale exhibition.
Conceived and initiated by curator and artist Darico Hasaya, Happily Ever After: Rethinking a Fairytale emerged from her personal reflection on revisiting childhood fairy tales in adulthood. The project explores how stories once accepted without question begin to reveal complex, multilayered meanings when seen through the lens of lived experience.
“As a child, I never questioned the stories I was told,” says Darico Hasaya. “But returning to fairy tales as an adult, I began to notice how layered, sometimes problematic — and at the same time deeply beautiful — they are. I wanted to open a space where we could rethink these narratives together, not to reject them, but to look at them consciously.”
Among the highlights is Aidan Salakhova’s Without Words (Book Series), a meditation on cultural identity and the enduring power of traditional symbols. Salakhova, an artist with roots deeply embedded in the post-Soviet landscape, invites us to explore the mysticism and memory woven into our cultural narratives. It speaks to anyone who has ever questioned the role of heritage in shaping their identity, much like the fairy tales we internalised as children which continue to shape our adult worldviews.
Katia Kesic’s Affirmation 5. Take the courage to be seen is another standout piece that bravely interrogates the constructs of femininity, both in art history and in the fabric of fairy tales. Kesic, whose work consistently explores the tension between visibility and vulnerability, offers a sculpture that is both delicate and defiant. The piece challenges us to think about the roles women are often confined to in traditional narratives—roles that require them to hide, to conform, or to sacrifice.
Anna Antonova’s watercolors, Rainbow of Thoughts and Figures in Cobalt Blue, inject the exhibition with a burst of colour and introspection. Drawing from her experiences in India and her deep engagement with Hindu mythology, Antonova’s work reflects a journey of self-discovery that is both deeply personal and universally relatable. Through her vivid and expressive use of watercolor, Antonova captures the fluidity of the human experience, reminding us that, like in fairy tales, we have the power to change our narratives.
Valeria Nikitina, one of the exhibition’s curators, perceives the chapel not just as a venue but as a medium for storytelling. Specializing in the interaction between art and the environment, Nikitina believes that the chapel itself becomes part of the exhibition, adding conceptual, functional, and aesthetic value. She emphasizes the importance of questioning familiar narratives that shape our behavior and communication as we mature. This exhibition, she suggests, is not just about curating art in a space; it’s about fostering interaction, provoking discussion, and encouraging fresh perspectives on deeply ingrained cultural and social ideas.
This show balances between nostalgia and revelation. Each piece in Happily Ever After. Rethinking a Fairytale felt like a familiar story told anew, where the comforting echoes of childhood are bittersweetened with the hard-won insights of adulthood. The artists, through their diverse backgrounds and mediums, create a space where fairy tales are not just stories to be told, but mirrors reflecting our own lives, challenges, and growth, helping us build stronger bonds with our true selves and each other.
While it may not cover every aspect of it, the significance of the Happily Ever After cannot be understated. The exhibition resonates beyond the narrow confines of the professional art community, engaging a wider audience. Through its lens, the less attractive—and sometimes frightening—aspects of traditional mythic narratives are unveiled. These narratives have played a significant role in shaping gender inequalities, the struggles of Gen Z with collective generational memory, and other pressing social issues. The curators invite viewers to reflect on these themes subtly, against the serene backdrop of natural sounds, as if stepping into a fairy tale themselves.
At the core of the exhibition lies a curatorial proposition developed by Darico Hasaya: that fairy tales, once internalised in childhood, quietly continue to inform our adult perceptions of gender, identity, and belonging. In collaboration with Daria Kizenkova, Valeria Nikitina, and Anzhela Popova — who participated in shaping the artist selection and curatorial dialogue — this inquiry materialised into a multifaceted exhibition balancing nostalgia with critical reflection. Kizenkova, who specialises in modern art with a strong focus on Suprematism and other avant-garde movements, often experiments with various mediums, including sculpture, painting, and sound art. Her approach is evident in Happily Ever After, where the selected works serve as a much-needed commentary on the issues faced by emerging creatives and society as a whole today.
