Salima Hashmi

Salima Hashmi is a Pakistani painter, artist, and anti-nuclear weapons activist. She serves as the dean at the Beaconhouse National University's school of visual arts.

Early life and education

Born in 1942 in New Delhi, India, Hashmi is the firstborn daughter of the poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz and his British-born wife, Alys Faiz. She migrated to Lahore with her family during the 1947 partition of India. Her mother was the sister of Christobel Taseer, who was the mother of former Punjab Governor Salman Taseer. Hashmi grew up in a politically charged atmosphere because her father faced imprisonment and self-exile due to his communist views and the repressive rule of General Zia-ul-Haq.

She pursued design studies at the National College of Arts in Lahore before moving to England during the early 1960s. In 1965, she received a diploma in art education from the Bath Academy of Art in Corsham. Hashmi later attended the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, where she earned a MAE degree in 1990.

Career

Hashmi represents the first generation of modern artists in Pakistan who possess an artistic identity distinct from indigenous artists. She taught at the National College of Arts for 31 years and served as its principal for 4 years. As a respected patron, she is known to have the capacity to make or break the career of young artists. She also co-founded the Rohtas 2 Gallery in Lahore Model Town to feature the work of emerging talent.

Her academic influence extends to her current role as dean at Beaconhouse National University. She promotes an intellectual perspective that encourages students to appreciate nature and cultural traditions. Beyond academia, Hashmi is a prominent activist who condemned the nuclear tests conducted by India and Pakistan in 1998. She believes these energies should instead be used for food production, shelter, or education.

Hashmi has exhibited her work internationally and lectured across the globe. She organized art shows in England, Europe, Australia, Japan, and India. Her political engagement includes membership in Amnesty International and the Pakistan Peace Initiative. She also serves as the vice-chairperson for the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan in Punjab.

As a writer, she authored the book "Unveiling the Visible: Lives and Deeds of Women Artists of Pakistan" in 2001. In 2006, she co-authored "Memory, Metaphor, Mutations: Contemporary Art of India and Pakistan" with Yashodhara Dalmia. She is currently working on a series of illustrations for English translations of her father's poetry.

Personal life

Hashmi is married to Shoaib Hashmi, who was a professor at Government College University and the Lahore School of Economics. The couple appeared together in children's television shows during the early 1970s, such as "Akkar Bakkar." They have two children, a son named Yasser Hashmi and a daughter named Mira Hashmi.

She has one younger sister, Muneeza Hashmi, who works as a senior producer with Pakistan TV.

Awards and recognition

In 1999, the President of Pakistan presented Hashmi with the Pride of Performance Award for her services to the nation. According to the text, she is also slated to receive the Sitara-i-Imtiaz award in 2026.