The Unholy Trinity
During a time of severe Islamization under the military dictatorship of General Zia Ul Haq in 1980s Pakistan, which fostered an increasingly oppressive environment for women, Lala Rukh involved herself with the women’s movement, co-founding the Women’s Action Forum (WAF) and commencing a life-long commitment to political activism. Rukh was proactively involved in the Forum’s activities when local printers controlled by the government in Lahore refused to print their protest materials and newsletters. Rukh began screen printing, designing and producing many of the WAF’s provocative posters that called for the equal rights and freedom of women.
In the latter half of the 1980s, Rukh also set up printmaking workshops to assist women involved in similar movements in the region. The poster The Unholy Trinity was designed by women at a workshop in Koitta, Bangladesh in 1986. The poster depicts a seated religious man, with a sack of money in his lap, with the words "men," "money" and "morality" printed below him. He holds prayer beads in one hand and his other hand reaches out, pressing down on the face of a woman. It was then screen-printed at a workshop Rukh held at the Eidgah Women’s Centre, Sargodha, Pakistan in 1991.
In the latter half of the 1980s, Rukh also set up printmaking workshops to assist women involved in similar movements in the region. The poster The Unholy Trinity was designed by women at a workshop in Koitta, Bangladesh in 1986. The poster depicts a seated religious man, with a sack of money in his lap, with the words "men," "money" and "morality" printed below him. He holds prayer beads in one hand and his other hand reaches out, pressing down on the face of a woman. It was then screen-printed at a workshop Rukh held at the Eidgah Women’s Centre, Sargodha, Pakistan in 1991.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Unholy Trinity
- Artist: Lala Rukh (Pakistani, Lahore 1948–2017 Lahore)
- Date: 1991
- Medium: Lithograph
- Dimensions: 27 3/8 × 18 in. (69.5 × 45.7 cm)
- Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Gift of the Estate of Lala Rukh, 2019
- Object Number: 2019.403.4
- Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Lala Rukh
2016
Lala Rukh
1982
Lala Rukh
1987
Lala Rukh
1983
Lala Rukh
1993
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.