"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."

"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.

" 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.

"I was at a stage in my artistic life where I had started to question my role in the society as an artist. Although I had not picked any banner to protest the ills of the society through my art, I had begun to realize that there was a tool in my hand that could be useful in bringing attention to something that existed in our surroundings to a different kind of audience."

"There is both conceptual and aesthetic underpinning in my work so, yes, it takes a while for the first piece of one particular series to be finished, but the rest doesn't take as long."

"Art can make people see things differently than, let's say, science or politics. In my opinion, it cannot change the world we live in, but it can certainly contribute to changing the world by pointing out the right direction of the change."

*[Click here to read our full interview with Ambreen Butt. Images courtesy of www.ambreenbutt.com.]

The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer's editorial policy.