Faiza Butt: The political artist

The Tribune

Her art is intricate, entertaining and yet seems laden with subliminal political messages that need decoding. One look at her work makes you curious to know about the mind behind these surreal works of art. This artist’s name is Faiza Butt. And here she talks about her life, her work and the art and artists of our times.

Born and raised in Lahore, Faiza Butt has emerged as one of Pakistan’s foremost contemporary artists, creating ripples internationally with her iconic, pop culture inspired images. Faiza was trained at National College of Arts in Lahore and at Slade School of Fine Art in London. She currently lives in London with her husband Richard and their two children Zack and Layla. In a genre of her own, her art pays homage to the miniaturist tradition, juxtaposed with current and controversial themes that explore issues of politics, gender and identity. Eroticised images of men from Northern Pakistan, meant to challenge stereotypical global perceptions, are a recurrent subject. She has exhibited her work extensively in Europe, the Middle East, South Asia and USA. ‘Aalmi’, her first solo exhibition in India is now on at the Vadehra Art Gallery in New Delhi.

6 January 2013