‘Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.’ Those are the lines by the great Picasso, the legendary Spanish painter and artist, who broke the rules of the paintings of his time and introduced Cubism. The purpose of art is not conforming to the norms of the era, rather negate it. Last week we were joined by one such artist Amna Butt, who has had her fair share of struggles but rose above those obstacles and now is one of the rising art prospects in the country. She talked about her childhood, love for paints, her early struggles, father’s support and her reunion with the love of her life, the canvas!
First she talked about her childhood, how she was attracted to paints and canvases, rather than toys like other children. ‘I used to prefer paint shops over toy shops all the time. Colours attracted me.’ She had to leave NCA because of family commitments but she never gave up. After several years and after the mentorship of senior artists she stands today as the CEO of Amna Butt- The ArtRoom, a gallery and studio which is home to about 700 paintings, sculptures, art furniture and what not. She started from a small store room a decade ago which has now turned into a well recognised brand.
Amna says she is now feeling much more humbled. Many thanks for the appreciation she has been shown by her mentors and her loved ones. Her father, especially, holds a special space in her life as he was the one who supported her. ‘My father insisted I use the old, empty house’. The house used to be a fashion studio, run by her beautiful and talented sister Hina Parvez Butt.
Amna has recently launched her new collection ‘Artè’ which is an art furniture. ‘Now I'm launching Artè Part II which you'll see as it'll have some really cool pieces’, she said. ARTÈ includes leather rugs, dramatic throws, painted leather blankets, neutral winter chairs, coffee tables and all that contemporary art. The best thing is that you can have it hand painted and commissioned for your space. It’s season 2 is coming this month.
When asked about her concept of art, she said her art represents love, nature, relationships and Deen. ‘I find my anchor in my ‘rab’. To her, art is what one believes in and what makes the life of an artist different from others. The four things are very close to her, especially Deen, as she is of the belief that Dren makes you closer to your spiritual self, something which is vital to being an artist.
The most amazing thing about Amna’s painting is that she doesn’t paint faces and buildings, she paints life stories. She is curious about the stories of people and tries to paint it. ‘Emotions! I live, breathe, celebrate and paint emotions. When words fall short, I paint. When the intensity of life becomes hard, I paint. When tales stay untold I paint, when love demands, I paint.’
When asked about her perception of the world, her view was that, ‘Every time I sit in front of the blank canvas I feel like a hero, superwoman, making something so personal yet giving it back to the world to enjoy, it is like giving a piece of my soul back to the universe.’
Amna talked about how she is very close to nature and how nature is one of the inspirations for most of her work. ‘I am nature and nature is me. My work represents the rhythms of nature, as I am impulsive, intense and raw’.
When asked about her forte she replied, ‘I paint people’s life stories, their struggles, imperfections, I think happiness is overrated can’t you all relate? Perfection doesn’t exist, life is imperfect and so is art’. She uses the method where she asks number of questions consisting of personal details about her client and makes an art piece that is exactly representing the life story of that client!
Talking about food, she confessed to be ‘a big-time foodie’, however, she blamed that on her Kashmiri-Butt family. As they say, ‘People who love to eat are always the best people, so yeah I'm a foodie.’
And at the end, Amna said, ‘My work can be super nerve wrecking yet so damn therapeutic, I welcome you all to my studio for some visual therapy, a good cup of coffee and some heart-to-heart conversations with me and my team’.