Butt's work is rooted in her bi-cultural identity and retains the intricate, decorative patterning that characterizes Indian and Persian miniature painting.
[6] The work was influenced by a friend's experience narrowly escaping from a suicide bombing in Butt's hometown of Lahore.
In particular, Butt's work addresses gender roles, cultural differences, the notion of freedom, and the meaning of human rights.
The enlarged piece is a celebration of the heroism of Mukhtar Mai, a woman gang-raped at the order of her local council in an act of honor revenge.
[2] That same year, Butt was artist-in-residence at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, where she was the first artist in the program to open her studio to the public and engage directly with visitors.