Google is today paying homage to Zarina Hashmi, a celebrated Indian-American artist and printmaker, marking what would have been her 86th birthday with a captivating Google Doodle, know her religion and family
The doodle, designed by Tara Anand, beautifully encapsulates the essence of Hashmi’s art, known for its minimalist abstract and geometric shapes, that primarily explore themes of home, displacement, and memory.
Who is artist Zarina Hashmi honored by Google Doodle, biography, age, religion, family, husband, artwork
A glimpse into Zarina Hashmi’s early life
Zarina Hashmi was born in the quaint Indian town of Aligarh on this day in 1937. Prior to India’s partition in 1947, Zarina and her siblings led a content life with her a Muslim by religion. The devastating event forced millions, including Hashmi’s family, to relocate to Karachi in the newly established nation of Pakistan.
Google Doodle honours Indo-American artist Zarina Hashmi on her 86th birthday pic.twitter.com/7R2Rhw43GG
— Star Scoop Central (@Randumbxnoob) July 16, 2023
At 21, Hashmi married a diplomat, kickstarting her global travels to Bangkok, Paris, and Japan, where she discovered the world of printmaking and contemporary art trends.
Zarina had four siblings, two brothers, and two sisters and her eldest brother (Hamid) passed away when he was very young. Fahmida Begum, Zarina’s mother, was born in Sialkot, near the border of Kashmir while Fahmida was married before she could attend college.
Zarina Hashmi was married to Saad Hashmi in 1958, when Zarina was 21 years who was a classmate at the Aligarh Muslim University.
Zarina Hashmi: Trailblazing Awards & Recognitions
Throughout her distinguished career, Zarina Hashmi received various awards and residencies:
| Year | Award/Residency |
|---|---|
| 1969 | President’s Award for Printmaking, India |
| 1974 | Japan Foundation Fellowship, Tokyo |
| 1984 | Printmaking Workshop Fellowship, New York |
| 1985 | New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship, New York |
| 1989 | Grand Prize, International Biennial of Prints, Bhopal, India |
| 1990 | Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation grant, New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship |
| 1991 | Residency, Women’s Studio Workshop, Rosendale, New York |
| 1994 | Residency, Art-Omi, Omi, New York |
| 2002 | Residency, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts |
| 2006 | Residency, Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga, California |
| 2007 | Residency, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia |
Becoming a Beacon in New York’s Artistic and Social Scene
In 1977, Hashmi made her move to New York City, becoming an active advocate for black and female artists. She joined the Heresies Collective, a feminist group that sought to intertwine politics, art, and social justice. Hashmi later became a professor at the New York Feminist Art Institute, which was committed to offering equal opportunities to women artists.
In 1980, she co-curated the pioneering exhibition at A.I.R. Gallery, “Dialectics of Isolation: An Exhibition of Third World Women Artists of the United States.” The exhibition showcased works from several artists and served as a platform for female artists of color.
Zarina Hashmi’s Art and Achievements
Hashmi was a major minimalist artist. She became known for her beautiful intaglio and woodcut prints, which showed homes and places she had lived in in a semi-abstract way. Her art often had writing in the Urdu language and geometric designs that were based on Islamic art.
Hashmi was one of four artists from India who showed their work at the 2011 Venice Biennale. This is one of her most notable achievements. In 2012, the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles put on the first big show of her work, which then went to the Art Institute of Chicago and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.
During the 2017–18 academic year, she served as the Artist-in-Residence at NYU’s Asian/Pacific/American Institute. The residency concluded with “Zarina Hashmi: Dark Roads,” a solo exhibition, and “Directions to My House,” a publication.
Concepts of Home and Diaspora in Hashmi’s Art
Zarina’s art often delved into the concept of home as a flexible, abstract space, transcending the physicality of a location. Her works are replete with motifs hinting at themes of mobility, diaspora, and exile. In her woodblock print “Paper Like Skin,” for example, a thin black line zigzags across a white background, which could be a boundary or a map of a trip that hasn’t been finished.
As we celebrate Zarina Hashmi’s 86th birthday, her work continues to be a source of inspiration. She gave a voice to themes of migration and identity that are important to people all over the world.
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