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         article-type="Research Paper"
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  <front>
    <journal-meta>
      <journal-title-group>
        <journal-title>Indian Journal of Social Enquiry</journal-title>
        <abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="publisher">IJSE</abbrev-journal-title>
      </journal-title-group>
      <issn pub-type="epub">applied</issn>
      <issn pub-type="ppub">0974-9012</issn>
      <publisher>
        <publisher-name>Prof Gitanjali Chawla</publisher-name>
      </publisher>
    </journal-meta>
    <article-meta>
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">IJSE1130008</article-id>
      <title-group>
        <article-title>Zarina Hashmi: A Critical Study on the Exhibition &apos;Paper like Skin&apos;</article-title>
      </title-group>
      <contrib-group>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Singh</surname>
            <given-names>Anshu</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"/>
        </contrib>
      </contrib-group>
      <aff id="aff1">Maharaja Agrasen College, University of Delhi</aff>
      <pub-date pub-type="epub" iso-8601-date="2026-09-02">
        <month>09</month>
        <day>02</day>
        <year>2026</year>
      </pub-date>
      <volume>13</volume>
      <issue>1</issue>
      <fpage>88</fpage>
      <lpage>99</lpage>
      <abstract>
        <p>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
&apos;Paper like Skin&apos; at Hammer Museum, Los Angeles featuring approximately 60
artworks. It focuses on few of the important artworks which reflect the artist&apos;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&apos;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.</p>
      </abstract>
      <kwd-group kwd-group-type="author">
        <kwd>Displacement</kwd>
        <kwd>Exile</kwd>
        <kwd>Home</kwd>
        <kwd>Partition</kwd>
        <kwd>Paper</kwd>
      </kwd-group>
    </article-meta>
  </front>
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