The Gallery at UTA presents
Anila Quayyum Agha, Ambreen Butt, Simeen Farhat
February 15 – April 3, 2021
Simeen Farhat Virtual Presentation, Thursday, February 25, 12:30 pm
Ambreen Butt Virtual Presentation, Wednesday, March 31, 12:30 pm
The Gallery at UTA is pleased to present an exhibition by Anila Quayaam Agha, Ambreen Butt
and Simeen Farhat on view at the University of Texas at Arlington from February 15 through
April 3, 2021.
The three artists take inspiration from centuries-old cultural motifs but transform the traditional
forms into dynamic vehicles for contemporary personal expression. Anila Quayyum Agha says of
her work, “...my art is deeply influenced by the simultaneous sense of alienation and transience
that informs the migrant experience. Through the use of a variety of media, from large
sculptural installations to embroidered drawings I explore the deeply entwined political
relationships between gender, culture, religion, labor and social codes.” Ambreen Butt, who was
trained in traditional Indian and Persian miniature painting, creates politically and socially
informed works that use “the aesthetics of sacred geometries and Islamic ornamentation” to
ruminate on challenging 21st century moral questions. Simeen Farhat uses language and text
as the starting point in the creation of artworks that “explore the space where language
emerges as shapes.” Inspired by language poets’ texts in several languages, she seeks to
engage the viewer in works “where thoughts meet the substance of sight, of line, of object.”
Anila Quayyum Agha received her BFA from the National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan and
an MFA from the University of North Texas. Recent solo shows include the Peabody Essex
Museum in Salem, MA, National Sculpture Museum in Valladolid, Spain, The Cincinnati Art
Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Jacksonville, FL, and the Toledo Museum of Art
in Ohio. For the 2019 Venice Biennale Agha was included in a collateral event, She
Persists, with 22 contemporary feminist artists. Recently, Agha received an Endowed Chair
position, Professor – Morris Eminent Scholar in Art at Augusta University in Georgia, as well as
the prestigious Smithsonian Fellowship in the arts for 2021. Her work has been collected by
institutions and private collectors, nationally and internationally. She is represented by Talley
Dunn Gallery, Dallas www.talleydunn.com/project/anila-quayyum-agha
Ambreen Butt received her BFA in traditional Indian and Persian miniature painting from the
National College of Arts in Lahore, Pakistan and her MFA in painting from the Massachusetts
College of Art and Design in Boston. Her work has been featured in solo exhibitions at
institutions throughout the United States and she has been the recipient of numerous awards
and grants. Her work has been collected by numerous public institutions including The Museum
of Fine Arts, Boston, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, the Library of Congress,
Washington, DC, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minnesota, National Museum for Women in the
Arts, Washington, DC, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, U.S. Art in Embassies, Islamabad,
Pakistan, among others. She is represented by Gallery Wendi Norris in San Francisco
www.gallerywendinorris.com/artists-collection/ambreen-butt
Simeen Farhat received her BFA from Arizona State University in Tempe and her MFA from
Texas Christian University, Fort Worth. Her work has been collected and exhibited worldwide
including solo exhibitions in England, India, Pakistan, Switzerland, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE.
In the United States, she has shown in numerous states including New York, Arizona, California,
Illinois, Florida, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Simeen was invited to participate
in an exhibition at the 2015 Venice Biennale, In the Eye of the Thunderstorm: Effervescent
Practices from the Arab World, curated by Martina Corgnati. She has also participated in
several artist residencies and been the recipient of numerous awards. She is represented by
Cris Worley Fine Arts, Dallas www.crisworley.com/artists/simeen-farhat
In association with the exhibition, two artists will discuss their work in virtual hour-long gallery
talks starting at 12:30 pm. Using the YouTube Live format, Simeen Farhat will speak on
Thursday, February 25 and Ambreen Butt will speak on Wednesday, March 31. Links to the
talks: Simeen Farhat talk and Ambreen Butt talk and on the gallery website.
Gallery hours are 10 am - 5 pm Monday through Friday and 12 - 5 pm on Saturday.
The Gallery is located in the Fine Arts Building, room 169, 502 S. Cooper Street, Arlington, TX.
Free parking is available by advance reservation. For more information, contact Benito Huerta or Patricia
Healy (817) 272-5658 or the gallery desk (817) 272-3110 or email phealy@uta.edu.
Please note: all visitors are required to wear face coverings and maintain social distancing on campus.
The 2020-2021 exhibition schedule is made possible by the generous support of Art Bridges Foundation,
Arlington Camera, the Art + Art History Department and Students, and Abe Lopez Ortega Studio.