Ladybugs
Ambreen Butt, Pakistani, born 1969
2008
Softground etching, aquatint, spit bite aquatint, lift ground aquatint, drypoint on chine collé
5/30
Plate: 13 × 18 in. (33 × 45.7 cm)
Sheet: 19 × 25 in. (48.3 × 63.5 cm)
Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth: Purchased through the Claire and Richard P. Morse 1953 Fund
© Ambreen Butt
2009.47.1
Portfolio / Series Title
Number one of five from Daughter of the East
Printer
Peter Pettengill
Publisher
Wingate Studio, Hinsdale, New Hampshire
Geography
Place Made: Pakistan, South Asia, Asia
Period
21st century
Object Name
Research Area
On view
Label
This print captures the strength of the women who defended the Laal Red Masjid in response to a siege by political fundamentalists in 2007. The artist was inspired by press images of these resilient women, who wielded sticks as part of their response to the Pakistani government’s attempt to expel mosque students and leaders. The artist likens the women to ladybugs, which symbolize luck individually but become an overwhelming swarm collectively. The women behind the veils present a strong, united force. This piece celebrates individuals coming together within the group, portraying the impact each veiled woman has against a backdrop of ladybugs.
From the 2024 exhibition A Space for Dialogue 120, Faces of Faith: Unveiling the Beauty of Islamic Art, curated by Noor Najeeb '25, Conroy Intern
Course History
WGST 41.4, Transnational Muslim Feminisms, Zahra. Ayubi, Fall 2014
REL 28.4, Gender in Islam, Candace Mixon, Winter 2019
SART 76, Senior Seminar, Jennifer Caine, Winter 2020
REL 28.04, MES 19.05, WGSS 43.06, Gender in Islam, Zahra Ayubi, Spring 2020
Studio Art 31.01/72.01, Painting II/III, Jen Caine, Winter 2023
Religion 28.04, Middle Eastern Studies 19.05, Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies 43.06, Gender in Islam, Zahra Ayubi, Summer 2023
Religion 28.04, Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 43.06, Middle Eastern Studies 19.05, Gender in Islam, Zahra Ayubi, Summer 2024
Exhibition History
A Space for Dialogue 120, Faces of Faith: Unveiling the Beauty of Islamic Art, Noor Najeeb '25, Conroy Intern, Alvin P. Gutman Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, September 7 - October 27, 2024.
Provenance
Wingate Studio, Hinsdale, New Hampshire; sold to present collection, 2009.
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