Zarina Hashmi: A Critical Study on the Exhibition 'Paper like Skin'

Indian art consisted of many distinct artistic styles where artists blended traditional and western art traditions and created art depicting the rapid change in the society and even in the art styles. Zarina Hashmi is a semiabstract artist who stepped into the Indian art world to express the after effects of partition indicative of migration from India to Pakistan. Her relationship and engagement with paper has been very unique. The involvement of Paper in her artworks is surrounded by themes like exile, isolation and displacement evoking her inner feelings. Through paper she identifies her belongingness which she compares with skin. The study enquires about the artworks created by Zarina Hashmi and related to home revolving around paper which were exhibited in the popular exhibition 'Paper like Skin' at Hammer Museum, Los Angeles featuring approximately 60 artworks. It focuses on few of the important artworks which reflect the artist's nostalgic memories back at home in India. The concept of using Paper as the common medium in most of the artworks has been studied here. The paper also focusses on the observation that the medium Paper has been an essential element during the artist's journey. Zarina being the strong woman of her times has been able to distinguish her longing for a real home; detached from all the temporary houses she resided in. The process of her learning art depicts her attachment with Paper, whom she personifies and compares her with her own life situation. The interpretation done through the artworks indicate that the artist did not choose to return back to her real home in India as she could not erase the pain and suffering, she underwent during partition. The faded memories in her mind where she was separated from her home and her childhood memories are quite visible through her artworks.