Eminent art educator Salima Hashmi captivated audiences with her discourse on the contribution of women in contemporary art at the Special Lecture Series (SLS) at Aga Khan University on April 13. Addressing a well attended event, Salima discussed women's place in modern history and its reflection in the works of art created by women as a social study in itself.
Recounting the beginnings of art education in Pakistan, she narrated how art was considered a peripheral activity secondary in nature to physical sciences and therefore was left for women. Her discussion of the changes in the art vocabulary of the women highlighted the relation between the stimuli provided by the socio political environment of the '80s' and the way women artistes chose to react. She elaborated upon how the imposition of the "chadar' or the veil altered the course of expression for many women artistes in different genres.
She showed to the audience the works of leading women artistes from Pakistan who especially focused on highlighting the struggle of women in the country. Her selection featured Amrita Shergill, Anna Molka Ahmed, Zubeida Agha, Mehar Afroz, Durriya Kazi, Naazish Ataullah, Aisha Khalid, Sumayya Durrani, Naiza Khan, Shahzia Sikander among others.
Professor Salima Hashmi is a painter, art educationist, writer and curator. She was educated at the National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore, the Bath Academy of Art, UK, and the Rhode Island School of Design, USA. She taught for 30 years at NCA, Pakistan's premier art institution, and retired as its Principal. She has exhibited her own work, travelled and lectured extensively all over the world, and has curated over a dozen international art shows in the UK, Europe, the USA, Australia, Japan and India. She is also a recipient of The President's Award for Pride of Performance, Pakistan. Presently, she is the Dean, School of Visual Arts at the newly established Beaconhouse National University in Lahore and also runs her own art gallery featuring works of young artists.
Earlier, AKU President, Mr Shamsh-Kassim Lakha welcomed the distinguished speaker and said that "Today, when the world seems to be ever more narrowing its vision and its sense of tolerance, we are fortunate to have someone like Salima, who lives and promotes inclusiveness through her art and her activities in helping resolve social issues."
AKU's Special Lecture Series programme, which started six years ago, has so far organised lectures by prestigious speakers such as His Royal Highness Prince Hasan of Jordan; the historian Professor Stanley Wolpert; Zia Mohyeddine; Sahabzada Yaqub-Khan, former foreign minister of Pakistan and the founding Chairman of AKU Board of Trustees; Pakistan's High Commissioner to the UK, Dr Maliha Lodhi; and Dr Carl Amrhein, Provost and Vice President Academics, University of Alberta, Canada.
