Pakistan’s Ministry of National Heritage and Culture has announced that Faiza Butt has been selected to represent Pakistan at the 61st Venice Biennale.
Curated by Beatriz Cifuentes Feliciano and commissioned by Yaqoob Bangash, Punj•AB – A Sublime Terrain will be presented at Ex Farmacia Solveni in Venice’s Dorsoduro district. The exhibition examines Punjab as a region shaped by both rupture and continuity following the 1947 partition. Through a series of works, Butt reflects on memory, identity and resilience, foregrounding the enduring role of craft and voices in preserving Punjab’s living heritage.
Working across painting, drawing, ceramics, photography and textile-based practices, Butt’s practice brings craft traditions into dialogue with contemporary art. Her practice highlights historically marginalised forms of making and positions them as fully autonomous artistic languages. The exhibition aligns with the biennale’s theme In Minor Keys, by emphasising the quiet, process-driven modes of expression that carry both historical resonance and cultural significance.
Born in Lahore in 1973, Butt trained at the National College of Arts and the Slade School of Fine Art. Throughout her career, she has developed a practice that explores gender, labour and representation, with works exhibited internationally and held in collections including the British Museum and the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art.
61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia will run from 9 May to 22 November 2026.
