[ad_1]
New Delhi: New York-based Indian artist Zarina Hashmi, best known for creating simple, minimalist yet powerful works, passed away Saturday at her niece’s London home after a long illness. She was 83 years old.
“He passed away after a long illness, but died peacefully in London, where he lived with his niece and nephew,” Delhi-based gallery owner and friend of Hashmi Renu Modi told PTI.
Modi, who has known and represented the artist for more than two decades, said it was difficult to “quantify the loss.”
“Zarina was one of the most outstanding artists of her generation, a pioneer who lived and created art on her own terms, based on her life and always faithful to her own convictions and unique artistic vision.
“The stark minimalism of his visual language was ahead of the time when he first began exploring it in the 1960s and 1970s, but its simplicity and quiet meditation speak to all of us today dealing with a world in disarray” Modi said.
“We were very close, like the family. He would have long, long conversations with her at least once a month, and we would talk about everything. Sometimes it would be about what is happening around the world, sometimes it would be about his art, and other times we would talk about something as mundane as clothing, “he added.
Birth
Born in Aligarh in 1937, much of Hashmi’s works are marked by the aftermath of the Partition and the exile experience.
Marriage
Married to Saad Hashmi, who was in the Foreign Service, the artist traveled the world and lived in many different cities, an experience that manifested itself in her art.
Art
She began to incorporate maps into her works, which were expanded to include the topographic details of the cities whose stories have been torn apart due to political conflict in Aligarh, New Delhi, New York, Baghdad, Kabul.
“His work can be instantly recognized through his minimalism. He said everything using the simplicity of his lines, ”said Modi.
During his long and illustrious career, Hashmi exhibited his works around the world, including at Modi’s Gallery Espace (New Delhi); Galerie Jaeger Bucher (Paris); Museum of Modern Art (New York), Mills College Museum (Oakland); and Alana Gallery (Oslo).
According to curator Uma Nair, India and the world lost a “phenomenal abstractionist” in Hashmi’s death.
She understood “the context of materials, media, history and memory,” said Nair, who wrote catalogs for two of Hashmi’s shows.
“Among his woodcuts and intaglios, his works had a magical and minimalist aura due to their silence. It invited a calm mood, an emotion that spoke of sculptural dignity, and a deeper understanding of politics and history. I wrote his catalogs for two shows in 2006. I was a beginner but he never let me feel it.
“Zarina’s was a search for individuality, one that arose from her own meditative ties, one that has refused to be bogged down by time and one that has found its own artistic integrity due to its silent intensity.” His life embodied that signature, ”said Nair.
Condolences
Several other members of the artistic fraternity turned to Twitter to express their condolences.
Artist Ranjit Hoskote, who had curated the India Pavilion at the 2011 Venice Biennale, of which Hashmi was a part, said it was a “privilege” to have worked with her.
“He was 10 years old when the borders he did not choose changed his life; He spent his life defying the borders and the exclusive claims of the territories, learning from various teachers, always faithful to the compass of a lost home. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un.
Heartbroken, hearing that Zarina Hashmi passed away in London. She was magnificent: full of wit and shrewd wisdom, her work imbued with a tragic vision. I had the privilege of having her as one of my artists in India’s first national pavilion at the 2011 Venice Biennale. RIP, ”she tweeted.
The National Gallery of Modern Art (Delhi) also published a tweet mourning the artist’s death.
“NGMA expresses its sincere condolences for the passing of Zarina Hashmi (1937 to 2020). Her work encompasses drawing, engraving, and sculpture,” he said.
Writer and dancer Poorna Swami said she loved Hashmi’s “rare and captivating work”.
“It is sad to hear that Zarina Hashmi passed away. I loved his light and engaging work. Although it would be wrong to call her an “Indian” artist, she was, along with Nasreen Mohamedi, an abstractionist woman in a children’s club. In a history of minimalism, they are usually men we greet, ”Swami wrote.
Actress and author Lisa Ray also expressed her condolences.
“It is very sad to know that #ZarinaHashmi, a legend from the art world, passed away. Their ability to distill emotion into unique images and shapes will resonate again and again, “he wrote.
Achievements
Hashmi won several accolades during her artistic career, including the New York University Asian / Pacific / American Institute Residency Award and Artist-in-Residence at the University of Richmond, both in 2017. She also received the President’s Award for Engraving , India in 1969.
Get the latest updates from the City of Hyderabad News, Technology, Entertainment, Sports, Politics and Featured Stories at WhatsApp AND Telegram subscribing to our channels. You can also download our application for Android and iOS.
