Zarina Hashmi (16 July 1937 – 25 April 2020) known as a printmaker and paper sculptor, was an influential Indian-American artist renowned for her evocative prints that explore themes of home, memory and displacement. She explored various mediums of printmaking throughout her career, skillfully employing techniques such as woodblock printing, lithography, intaglio and silkscreen. 

Throughout her career, Zarina Hashmi created a rich tapestry of prints that resonated deeply with her own experiences of displacement due to the partition of India, as well as her journeys across different continents. One of her most significant works, Home is a Foreign Place, features a portfolio of 36 woodcut prints inscribed with urdu text, each representing a poignant memory of her homeland.

Born in India and later residing in the United States, her art often reflects themes of displacement, memory and identity, drawing from her personal experiences as an expatriate. Utilizing a combination of materials such as paper, wood and metal Zarina Hashmi created intricated prints & sculptures that evoked a sense of longing and introspection. 

In her prints, Zarina Hashmi employs a unique visual language that transcends words, allowing emotions to flow freely across the canvas. The subtle yet powerful interplay of light and shadow in Zarina Hashmi's prints creates a sense of depth that mirrors the complexities of human sentiment. Each artwork serves as a meditation on personal and collective histories, prompting viewers to reflect on their own experiences of love, loss and identity. By intertwining her artistic practice with her rich cultural background, Zarina not only communicates her own moods but also resonates with a universal audience, emphasizing the shared human experience. 

Early Life

As a child, Zarina Hashmi was surrounded by books as her father was a history professor at Aligarh Muslim University. She found joy in looking at the printed words as it had naturally sparked her curiosity to explore the world around her. Her mother, Fahmida Begum had built a garden in the courtyard of the house where Zarina was surrounded by flowers and green trees. After completing her BSc in Mathematics from the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in 1958, she went on to study woodblock printing in Bangkok, and Tokyo with printmaker Toshi Yoshida after receiving the Japan Foundation Fellowship in 1974. She also assisted English printmaker and painter, Stanley William Hayter in Paris and studied intaglio to develop her artistic skills further. Zarina also met her partner Saad Hashmi, an Indian Foreign Service officer at AMU, the couple got married and travelled around the world.

Impact of Partition

Zarina was only ten years old when the partition between India and Pakistan took place. The incident had a deep impact on her young mind which became a recurring motif in her works. After the partition, she travelled to various parts of the world including Japan, France, and Germany, among other places. These travelling experiences naturally become a source of inspiration for her works. But the 1970s is where she brought all of her conceptual ideas and started forming a series of abstract works.

Painting Style & Technique

Zarina Hashmi's vast oeuvre included minimalist drawings, printmaking and sculptures, although her most preferred medium was ink on paper. She explored themes such as home, displacement, travel journeys, borders, and memories. Although Zarina didn’t take any academic courses, she utilised her experiences of working in different studios. Her experiments with visual elements from Islamic architecture, Urdu inscriptions, her mother's garden, and fragrances, speak of her artistic ease of finding inspiration in her natural surroundings.

Her works featured squares, symbolising home whereas the circles represented the cycle of life. The triangles were also frequently depicted in works as symbolising strength and balance. The artist once said, "Somewhere along the line I decided to make my own life the subject of my work, but I didn't realise how people would respond to that. Some people who have come and settled in the United States don't look back, but I'm not one of them. They are lucky!"

Her intricate use of lines and the emotional resonance of her pieces often reflected her personal experiences and cultural identity. The artist tries to find a home for herself in her works where she could feel safe; as the continuous travel to different locations and migration from one place to another for survival tore apart her childhood dreams. Her home was destroyed and her family was forced to leave their residence. Zarina expressed this loss in her works by depicting various geometrical forms and they became a recurring motif in her body of work. She drew inspiration from her South Asian heritage, incorporating symbols and natural materials that evoked her experiences of displacement and belonging. Many of her works are small-scale in size, inviting viewers to engage closely and reflect on the intricacies of her themes. By utilising these elements, Zarina's art became a meditative exploration of home, memory, and the passage of time, resonating deeply with personal and collective histories.

Famous Paintings & Sculptors

Zarina Hashmi's paintings often blended personal narratives with broader themes of identity, memory and place. The following are some exceptional and famous paintings & sculptors done by Zarina Hashmi:

Dividing Line - A significant piece by Zarina, which reflects her experiences as a refugee and her struggles with identity. The work is a linocut print that depicts a series of lines and shapes, which seem to divide and intersect, creating a sense of fragmentation and disconnection. It explores the concept of borders and the emotional and physical separations they impose. Using simple yet powerful elements such as lines and shapes, Zarina’s work invites viewers to reflect on the complexities of identity and the profound impact of geopolitical boundaries on personal narratives.

Atlas Of My World - The artwork features abstract representations of geographic spaces, highlighting how borders and boundaries shape individual experiences and identities. Zarina’s use of delicate lines and subtle textures invites viewers to contemplate their own connections to place and belonging. Through her work, Zarina emphasizes the emotional weight of geography and how it influences one’s sense of self. "Atlas of My World" serves not only as a visual representation but also as a metaphor for the interconnectedness of human experiences across different cultures and histories.

Paper Like Skin - A notable body of work by Zarina Hashmi, reflecting her deep engagement with themes of exile, displacement, memory, and home using handmade paper as a central medium to evoke fragility and transience. Through minimalistic compositions involving ink, gold leaf and woodcuts, Zarina incorporates abstract maps, geometric shapes, and Urdu script, blending personal narratives with broader political histories of migration. The title draws a poetic comparison between the delicate, impermanent nature of paper and human skin, symbolizing how personal and collective histories are inscribed and worn over time. This work captures the tension between permanence and impermanence, offering a profound meditation on belonging, loss, and identity.

Home Is a Foreign Place - This set of prints by Zarina Hashmi is a collection of thirty-six woodcuts prints featuring different abstract images which reflect her own narrative of the house she was born in. Executed in 1999, in this series, Zarina has woven a simple print design with a word written in each with a monochromatic design. Home Is a Foreign Place by Zarina Hashmi resonated with viewers who had similar stories of leaving their childhood home.

The House At Aligarh  - The portfolio comprises seven etchings, seven texts, one sheet with the title, and a portfolio jacket (diptych). Executed in 1990, this work is a reflection of her adoration and longing for her home in Aligarh where she spent her early childhood with her family.

Letters From Home - This work included six unposted letters written by her sister, Rani to Zarina. It’s a reflection of the beautiful bond and exchange of vulnerable experiences, shared between the two sisters. It is a very personal and authentic piece of artistic expression by Zarina, shedding light on the importance of staying connected regardless of the geographic divides.

Flight IV - Executed in 1966, this work is a broader exploration of migration and the feeling of being uprooted. When Zarina was a child, her father took her on an aeroplane ride which fueled her curiosity for topology and architecture. This work might reflect her personal experiences of home and the emotions tied to the journey.

Steps - This artwork was executed in 1981 utilising medium - cast paper with black pigment and aluminium powder. It mirrors her journey from different places like her other works such as “City- IV (2003)” and “Mapping the Dislocation” (2003), infused with abstract and geometric style.

Awards

Zarina Hashmi won several awards including the President’s Award for Printmaking, India, 1969; Residency Award at the Women’s Studio Workshop, Rosendale, New York, 1991; and Residency Award, Art-Omi, Omi, New York, 1994. Throughout her career, her works were exhibited worldwide. Her solo shows included two retrospectives, Silent Soliloquy at Bodhi Art, Singapore in 2006; Counting 1977-2005, at Bose Pacia Modern, New York (2005); Home is a Foreign Place at Korn Gallery, Drew University, Madison (2002); Homes I Made at the Faculty Gallery, University of California, Santa Cruz (1994), among others.

Apart from solo shows, her works were also exhibited in numerous group shows and are part of several public and private collections. The influential artist passed away in 2020, but her legacy continues to inspire and influence contemporary art. Zarina spent much of her life in various countries, which deeply influenced her oeuvre. Her exploration of concepts like borders and belonging resonated deeply in a world grappling with issues of migration and identity.

Famous Quotes

Here are some notable quotes attributed to artist Zarina Hashmi:
• On Home and Memory - “Home is a place where you can be yourself, but I also think it is a state of mind. It's the idea of belonging somewhere.”
• On Art and Communication - “Art is a way of communicating feelings and emotions that cannot be expressed in words.”
• On the Role of Art - “Art should disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed.”
• On Identity - “I am a wanderer, and my art is a reflection of my own journey, the places I have lived, and the experiences I have gathered.”
• On Silence and Space - “Silence speaks volumes. It creates a space where one can contemplate and reflect.”
• On Life and Creativity - “The process of creating art is often more important than the finished piece. It is in the act of making that we discover ourselves.”

Conclusion

Zarina Hashmi’s artworks continue to captivate audiences with their profound exploration of home, displacement, and memory. Her beautiful paintings and minimalist creations—whether expressed through canvas paintings, prints or sculptural forms—embody a poetic simplicity that resonates deeply. Known for her delicate use of geometry and text, her works have become prominent in both personal collections and galleries worldwide. Today, her pieces, including wall paintings and rare oil paintings, are highly prized at international auctions, reflecting the growing recognition and value of Zarina Hashmi’s paintings in the art market. Through her unique visual language, Zarina leaves behind a legacy that transcends borders and continues to inspire contemplation on the meaning of belonging.

We hope you enjoyed this article. You can click here to see some of Zarina Hashmi's distinct artworks.