Zarina Hashmi India, 1937-2020

Zarina was born in Aligarh, India. She first studied mathematics before turning to printmaking, training in woodblock techniques in Bangkok and Tokyo, and later studying intaglio with S. W. Hayter at Atelier-17 in Paris.

Her work is grounded in lived experience. Early interests in architecture and mathematics inform the clarity of her line, the rigor of her geometry, and the formal restraint that defines her practice. While aligned with minimalism, her works possess a tactile presence that anchors their conceptual depth. Across her oeuvre, she returns to the enduring themes of home, displacement, borders, journey, and memory.

Zarina’s life unfolded across many geographies, each shaping her understanding of place and belonging. She often reflected on her joyful childhood and the support of her family, and remained deeply connected to her sister Rani, who passed away in 2013.

Throughout her career, Zarina exhibited internationally. In 2011, she represented India at the Venice Biennale. Her landmark retrospective, Zarina: Paper Like Skin, opened at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles in 2012 and traveled to the Guggenheim Museum in New York and the Art Institute of Chicago in 2013.