Miniature painting is a genre in Persian and Indian art that has survived the passage of time. Indo-Persian miniature painting, a common heritage of the two nations, was originally an artwork adorning text that reached its climax of glory during the 15th and 16th centuries. Miniature paintings illustrate religious, mythological or literary themes and plots. In the 17th century, miniatures mostly depicted love scenes and, in the 18th century, shifted to portray flowers and birds.To get more news about how does art change the world, you can visit shine news official website.
Ambreen Butt is a Pakistani-American miniaturist and painter born in 1969 in the historic city of Lahore. She has been called a “leader in revitalizing the centuries-old form of” miniature. Butt received her bachelor’s in traditional Indian and Persian miniature painting from the National College of Arts in Lahore before moving to the United States in 1993 to attend the Massachusetts College of Art and Design.
Butt is the recipient of several national awards, including the Brother Thomas Fellowship from the Boston Foundation, the Maud Morgan Prize from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and a James and Audrey Foster Prize by the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston.
Much of her labor-intensive work contains autobiographical elements that represent her childhood in Pakistan and her attachment to the US as an American citizen. She also touches upon social and political issues in her paintings.
In this edition of The Interview, Fair Observer talks to Ambreen Butt about her artistic journey, her reflections on Indian and Persian miniature painting, and the national and international reception to her work.
The transcript has been edited for clarity and the interview took place earlier this year.My earlier work during my National College of Arts years was greatly influenced by both the Mughal and Safavid style paintings. The color palette I use now has been evolved by looking at these two different styles.
As much as there is a presence of both Indian and Persian influence in my work, I don’t see much similarities among the two cultures in present-day life. Although I have never had a chance to visit either India or Iran, my understanding of both cultures is purely based on my observation and interaction with the art and the artists, some of whom I have been friends with for a long time.
India and Pakistan share pretty much the same cultural roots, despite the religious difference; many rituals are shared because of their long history of togetherness. But Iran is different. I don’t think there are that many similarities between Iranian and Pakistani culture. From food to clothing to art and architecture, there is a distinct difference. Although the two countries have similar religious roots, the manifestation of religious culture is quite different.
The only thing I would like to point out which I see as a common binding is its women: they are resilient. From Shirin Ebadi to Asma Jahangir to Malala Yousafzai, women in these countries have come out as a force of strength and change even in the most oppressive times. And it is very inspiring for me.