In Conversation: Ambreen Butt with Dr. Padma Dorje Maitland and Dr. Aleesa Pitchamarn Alexander
On Thursday, March 26 at 6 pm, Gallery Wendi Norris will celebrate the opening of I Bear Witness with a conversation between Ambreen Butt; Dr. Padma Dorje Maitland, Malavalli Family Foundation Associate Curator, Art of the Indian Subcontinent, at the Asian Art Museum; and Dr. Aleesa Pitchamarn Alexander, Robert M. and Ruth L. Halperin Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art and Co-Director of the Asian American Art Initiative at the Cantor Arts Center.
This event is free; however, reservations are recommended. RSVP here.
Ambreen Butt: I Bear Witness is on view at Gallery Wendi Norris, March 26 – May 9, 2026.
About the speakers
Ambreen Butt (b. 1969, Lahore, Pakistan) uses techniques rooted firmly in tradition, creating works that explore the complexities of contemporary global politics, female identity and living as a Muslim in the United States. Employing actions including staining, stitching, cutting, ripping and tacking with repetitive urgency, Butt's painted and collaged works on paper and large-scale resin installations espouse the radiant aesthetics of sacred geometries and Islamic ornamentation. Often using text-based source materials that include the names of children who lost their lives to war, transcripts from terrorism trials, and quotations from news media, Butt's work is built upon some of the most challenging moral questions of the 21st century, tackling issues ranging from drone warfare and gun culture, to forced displacement and mass migration. Rather than offer answers, her artworks exist as laborious meditations on humanity.
Padma Dorje Maitland is the Malavalli Family Foundation Associate Curator, Art of the Indian Subcontinent, at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. He holds dual doctoral degrees in Architectural History and South Asian Studies from UC Berkeley and a MArch from Princeton. He has curated exhibitions at BAMPFA, LACMA, Mia, and most recently “Subh-e-Umeed: A Sound Work by Lala Rukh,” at AAM. His publications include “Art, Hope, Action: Creative Praxis in Pandemic Times” from Archive Books.
Aleesa Pitchamarn Alexander is the Robert M. and Ruth L. Halperin Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art and Co-Director of the Asian American Art Initiative at the Cantor Arts Center. She oversees the collection of modern and contemporary art at the Cantor Arts Center, where she was the curator of "Spirit House" (2024), "Livien Yin: Thirsty" (2024), "East of the Pacific: Making Histories of Asian American Art" (2022), and "The Faces of Ruth Asawa" (2022). Her accompanying catalogue to "Spirit House" is the museum’s first major publication of the AAAI. Alexander leads the AAAI’s curatorial program and collection building, working with artists, artist estates, galleries, and collectors.
