Join me in celebrating the life and work of the remarkable artist Zarina Hashmi, as we commemorate her 86th birthday. Today, Google pays tribute to this influential Indian-American artist and printmaker through a captivating Google Doodle. Designed by the talented guest artist Tara Anand, the doodle encapsulates Hashmi’s minimalist abstract figures and her artistic expressions of home, displacement, borders, and memory.
Zarina Hashmi was born on July 16, 1937, in the serene town of Aligarh, India. Her early years were marked by tranquility, until the partition of India in 1947 disrupted her family’s life, compelling them to relocate to Karachi, Pakistan. At age 21, she embarked on a journey with her diplomat husband, traversing the globe and immersing herself in diverse cultures. During her sojourns in Bangkok, Paris, and Japan, she delved into the art of printmaking and found inspiration in the realms of modernism and abstraction.
In 1977, Hashmi settled in the vibrant city of New York, where she emerged as a passionate advocate for women and artists of color. She became an integral part of the Heresies Collective, a feminist publication that delved into the intersection of art, politics, and social justice. Furthermore, she dedicated herself to teaching at the New York Feminist Art Institute, championing equal educational opportunities for women artists.
A pivotal moment in Hashmi’s journey occurred in 1980 when she co-curated a groundbreaking exhibition at A.I.R. Gallery titled “Dialectics of Isolation: An Exhibition of Third World Women Artists of the United States.” This significant event showcased the work of diverse artists, providing a much-needed platform for women artists of color to shine.
Internationally renowned for her captivating woodblock prints and gravure, Hashmi’s art often features semi-abstract depictions of the houses and villages she once called home. Her works bear the poetic inscriptions of her native Urdu and are adorned with geometric elements inspired by the beauty of Islamic art.
In 2011, Hashmi was honored to be one of the four artists chosen to represent India in her inaugural exhibition at the prestigious Venice Biennale. The world witnessed the depth and power of her art. A year later, in 2012, the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles hosted the first retrospective of her work, titled “Zarina: Paper Like Skin,” a remarkable exhibition that later traveled to the Art Institute of Chicago and the Guggenheim Museum.
On April 25, 2020, at the age of 82, Zarina Hashmi bid farewell to this world. Yet, her legacy lives on, resonating through her art, which now finds its eternal home within the permanent collections of various esteemed museums across the globe.
Today, as we celebrate her birthday, let us remember and honour Zarina Hashmi, a true visionary whose art continues to captivate and inspire. Happy birthday, Zarina!