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Artist Zarina Hashmi uses wooden blocks to create images of maps on paper Route Cause [[image]] Amit Mehra Sailaja Tripathi Her maps of various countries and cities won't help you reach anywhere. Zarina Hashmi uses the block print technique to put geographical and political boundaries on paper. She ahs also depicted the destruction, violence, and other changes that the various places have suffered over time. The 66-year-old US-based sculptor and artist is displaying her black and white prints in an exhibition titled [[italics]] Cities, Countries and Borders [[/italics]] at Gallery Espace in Delhi. Hashmi was born in Aligarh in India, studied wood block printing in Japan, silk screen printing in Germany and paper making in India. In the ongoing show, she has displayed maps of cities like Vaghdad, Kabul, Grozny (the capital of Chechnya), Sarajevo and Srebrenica (a hamlet in Bosnia). Ahmedabad figures in the collection too, and resembles a spider's web. "I visited Gujarat twice after the riots and the situation at that time really moved me," she says. There is a series on Delhi too, including a detailed print of old Delhi. "There is a sense of history to Delhi. It's also home to Urdu, an language I love," says Hashmi, who had also published a book of 101 Urdu proverbs in 1991. Even her prints carry the names of the places in Urdu. Hashmi's interest in doing maps resulted from what she observed around her. "While travelling, maps become your guides. You locate yourself on it," says Hashmi. She adds "I realised that we are all a part of a larger world. I began doing research on the Internet, collecting articles about the problem-affected regions," she says. Her research also took her to various conflict-torn cities. Hashmi could even identify with their problems. "After Partition, my parents moved to Pakistan and I stayed back. The scars of that divide have left a deep impact on the people of my generation," she says. That's how another series on international borders, which is also a part of this show, came about. And yes, there's one on the Indo-Pak border too. [[bold]] Hashmi has also made a cardiogram from a wooden block [[/bold]] [[italics]] (The show is on till February 7 Call 2632-6267) [[/italics]] Art of the matter! What happens when some of the most prominent artists of the Capital come together to toast one of their own? An evening to remember! Monday evening was one such, which saw the inauguration of Zarina Hashmi's print exhibition in the Capital. The evening started on a high note with artists like Arpana Caur, Gopi Gajwani, Arpita Singh and Ram Rahman dropping in to congratulate the artist and appreciate the excellent prints. What sets apart Hashmi's works are her use of calligraphy to inscribe titles and phrases in Urdu. "As I have grown up in Lucknow where is is customary to invoke an Urdu couplet and quote a [[italics]] shayar [[/italics]] in everyday conversation, the use of interlacing text and images came naturally to me. I found it the most expressive way of putting my thought on paper," sayd Hashmi. As the guests went around Gallery Espace, where the artworks are being exhibited, the old Lucknow hospitality was also to be seen. Excellent [[italics]] kebabs [[/italics]] and [[italics]] tikkas [[/italics]] were served along with wine to the guests. Those present could be seen discussing the prints with the artist. However, there is more to the artist. Hashmi calls 25 various places on the globe her home and has learnt the various nuances of art from Germany to Japan to the US. Needless to say, she has gained appreciation from all over the world and has now added Delhi to this list. meanwhile, amongst those who also walked in to be part of the evening were senior artists Paramjeet Singh with wife Arpita together with Harshvardhan, Ranbir Kaleka and Anjum Singh, the chief of IGMA Rajeev Lochan with his artist-wife Yuriko and art-connoisseur Peter Nagy. Also present were Prayag Shukla and Jerome Neutres of the French emvassy and Neelima and Ghulam Sheikh. [[image]] [[bold]] Felicia Murray and Jasleen Singh [[/bold]] [[image]] [[bold]] Ram Rehman and Zarina Hashmi [[/bold]] [[image]] [[bold]] Anjum Singh [[/bold]]
