An artist true to her roots despite global outlook

Faiza Butt’s elaborate drawings, crafted with rigor and passion, create subtle surfaces hovering between embroidery and photography.

They are often made from found and scavenged journalistic photos, though her artistic instinct is to deftly decorate the images, turning them into a source of gratification and enjoyment.Feminist themes invariably form core of her work.Although she is aware of the Post Impressionists and the Pointillists, her work comes from an entirely different origin, and whilst the Pointillists wanted to capture the effect of light Butt is interested in capturing the beauty and contradictions of the Islamic tradition.

An accompanying essay to her ongoing solo show at New Delhi-based Vadehra Art mentions: “Her paintings are laboriously crafted using a near obsessive technique of tiny dots – reminiscent of the par dokht style in miniature painting – a rigorous process that involves the covering of the painted surface with individual dots.

"One can trace origins of this style in her work from the training she received in miniature painting at the NCA, Lahore.However these dots also replicate pixels structure of a photograph, on polyester translucent films. This is especially relevant given that the artist created these drawings from photographs in newspapers and magazines. The pieces are mounted on light boxes, activating the process of development and creating an ethereal iconic appeal."

Faiza Butt, born in Lahore in 1973, received her BA from the National College of Arts, , and was awarded a gold medal. She holds a master’s degree in painting with a distinction award from the Slade School of Fine Art. In 1995, she received a UNESCO-Aschberg Bursary, and was artist-in-residence at the Bartle Arts Trust (BAT) in Durban, South Africa where she held workshops for women from shantytowns, presented talks and produced a solo. Although living in London, Faiza Butt’s Pakistani roots are evident as she brings to our attention various social, gender and political issues faced by a young Pakistani.

Apart from a series of solo shows, Her work has been exhibited at various art fairs like Art Dubai and the Hong Kong Art Fair, and extensively in Europe, the Middle East, South Asia and the United States. Her work can also be found in private and public collections around the world.