Rabia Zuberi
{{Short description|Pakistani sculptor and painter (c.1941–2022)}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=September 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox artist
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| name = Rabia Zuberi
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| birth_date = 1940
| birth_place = Kanpur, United Provinces, British Raj (now Uttar Pradesh, India)
| death_date = {{death date and given age|2022|1|16|81|df=y}}
| death_place = Karachi, Pakistan
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| nationality = Pakistani
| education = Graduation
| alma_mater = Aligarh Muslim University
Lucknow College of Arts and Crafts
| known_for = Sculpture, Painting, Drawing
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| relatives = Hajra Mansoor (sister)
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| awards = Pride of Performance (2010)
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Rabia Zuberi (1940 – 16 January 2022),{{Cite web |last=Salman |first=Peerzada |date=18 January 2022 |title=Sculptor Rabia Zuberi laid to rest |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1670082 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220215153945/https://www.dawn.com/news/1670082 |archive-date=15 February 2022 |access-date=25 September 2024 |website=Dawn |language=en}} sometimes referred to in Pakistan as Queen Mother of Arts,{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Khushwant |date=1 August 2008 |title=Our failing political esteem |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/our-failing-political-esteem/story-I1CsUETyRN1KKUL47BgqXJ.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240925211934/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/our-failing-political-esteem/story-I1CsUETyRN1KKUL47BgqXJ.html |archive-date=25 September 2024 |access-date=25 September 2024 |website=Hindustan Times}} was a Pakistani sculptor, painter, former chairperson of the Pakistan Arts Council, teacher and Pakistan's first woman sculptor. She produced most of her work after immigrating to Pakistan. Some of her drawings includes Duputta, Quest for Peace, and some sculptures titled Peace Message from the Progressive World and Peace Message were acquired by the National Art Gallery, Pakistan during an exhibition in 2003.{{Cite web |last=Husain |first=Marjorie |date=25 September 2015 |title=Art work: A tryst with destiny |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1208870 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230429142621/http://www.dawn.com/news/1208870 |archive-date=29 April 2023 |access-date=18 September 2022 |website=Dawn}}
Early life
She was born in 1940 in United Province, British India (now Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India). She graduated from the Aligarh Muslim University in 1959{{Cite web |date=14 September 2022 |title=Department of Fine Arts - Notable Alumni of the Department |url=https://www.amu.ac.in/showloa.jsp?did=15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220919023429/https://www.amu.ac.in/department/fine-arts/notable-alumni |archive-date=19 September 2022 |access-date=18 September 2022 |website=Aligarh Muslim University}} and later moved to Lucknow where she attended Lucknow College of Arts and Crafts along with her sister, Hajra Mansoor.{{Cite web |last=Ahmed |first=Munir |date=23 December 2017 |title=Ninth National Art Exhibition dedicated to nine legendary Pakistani artists commences at PNCA |url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/165033/ninth-national-art-exhibition-dedicated-nine-legendary-pakistani-artists-commences-pnca/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180608175048/https://dailytimes.com.pk/165033/ninth-national-art-exhibition-dedicated-nine-legendary-pakistani-artists-commences-pnca/ |archive-date=8 June 2018 |access-date=25 September 2024 |website=Daily Times}}{{Cite web |last=Shaikh |first=Nageen |date=9 January 2022 |title=Exhibition: Rethinking Rabia Zuberi |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1668375 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231130102908/https://www.dawn.com/news/1668375 |archive-date=30 November 2023 |access-date=25 September 2024 |website=Dawn |language=en}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=12 March 2017 |title=The revolution that flowered |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1319997 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128225519/https://www.dawn.com/news/1319997 |archive-date=28 November 2021 |access-date=25 September 2024 |website=Dawn |language=en}} Following the partition of India, her family migrated to Pakistan in 1961, while she and her sister studied in India, and later they moved to Karachi in 1964.{{Cite web |last=Fatima |first=Samar |date=20 November 2022 |title=Exhibition: Rabia's Ethos |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1722015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430021146/https://www.dawn.com/news/1722015 |archive-date=30 April 2023 |access-date=25 September 2024 |website=Dawn |language=en}}
Career
She was involved in paintings at an apparent age of ten. Before migrating to Pakistan, she participated in annual exhibitions at the All-India Youth Art Exhibitions, Delhi where she was awarded uncertain prizes from 1960 to 1963. In 2010, the government of Pakistan awarded her the Pride of Performance in recognition of her paintings, depicting an orphan with visage.{{Cite web |last=Chatterjee |first=Partha |date=4 December 2009 |title=Gentle rainbow |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/arts-and-culture/art/article30185977.ece |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240413094358/https://frontline.thehindu.com/arts-and-culture/art/article30185977.ece |archive-date=13 April 2024 |access-date=18 September 2022 |website=Frontline |publisher=The Hindu Group}}{{Cite web |date=3 April 2019 |title=Profile of Rabia Zuberi |url=https://www.ksa.edu.pk/about-school/rabia-zuberi/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201015224303/https://www.ksa.edu.pk/about-school/rabia-zuberi/ |archive-date=15 October 2020 |access-date=5 October 2020 |website=Karachi School of Art}}
She created two life-sized sculptures of iron and fiberglass for the Pakistan Navy in 1978 when she was commissioned by the federal government of Pakistan to work for the presidency. The statue was later installed at Zamzama Park.{{Cite web |last=Zuberi |first=Nadeem |date=11 June 2016 |title=Art Facts: Rabia's creative powers |url=https://www.brecorder.com/news/4409913 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240925214236/https://www.brecorder.com/news/4409913 |archive-date=25 September 2024 |access-date=25 September 2024 |website=Business Recorder |language=en}} She was also commissioned to create a statue for an industrial organization and public and private architectural structures in Islamabad. In 1964, she established Karachi School of Art, an art and entertainment institution.{{Cite web |last=Baig |first=Zulfiqar |date=9 February 2022 |title='Forms of Existence' show on display at PNCA |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2342652/forms-of-existence-show-on-display-at-pnca |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705025930/https://tribune.com.pk/story/2342652/forms-of-existence-show-on-display-at-pnca |archive-date=5 July 2022 |access-date=25 September 2024 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}
Her life is covered in a book titled Rabia Zuberi: Life and Work by Marjorie Husain which was published in 2009. Her career was covered in a book titled Unveiling the Visible: Lives and Works of Women Artists of Pakistan by Salima Hashmi which was published in 2002.{{Cite web |last=Muhajir |first=Tauqeer |date=22 March 2020 |title=Saluting women artists of Pakistan |url=https://www.khaleejtimes.com/pakistan-resolution-day/supplements/saluting-women-artists-of-pakistan |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206000534/https://www.khaleejtimes.com/pakistan-resolution-day/supplements/saluting-women-artists-of-pakistan |archive-date=6 December 2021 |access-date=25 September 2024 |website=Khaleej Times}} The book Rabia Zuberi: Life & Works, according to the Hindustan Times doesn't cover about her migration to Pakistan.
Personal life and death
Zuberi died in Karachi on 16 January 2022, at the age of 81.{{cite news |date=17 January 2022 |title=Rabia Zuberi passes away |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1669858 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601170327/https://www.dawn.com/news/1669858 |archive-date=1 June 2023 |access-date=2 February 2022 |work=Dawn}}
Books
- {{cite book | last2= Husain| first2= Marjorie| title= Rabia Zuberi: Life and Work| year= 2008| isbn= 9789698896041| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sp_mAAAAMAAJ | last1= Zuberi| first1= Rabia| publisher= Foundation for Museum of Modern Art}}
- {{cite book | title= Unveiling the Visible: Lives and Works of Women Artists of Pakistan| year= 2002| isbn= 9789693513615| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WsifAAAAMAAJ | last1= Hashmi| first1= Salima| publisher= ActionAid Pakistan}}
Awards and recognition
- Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan in 2010
References
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External links
- [https://aaa.org.hk/en/collections/search/library/rabia-zuberi-life-and-work Rabia Zuberi] at Asia Art Archive
{{Pride of Performance for Arts}}
{{Authority control}}
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Category:Year of birth missing
Category:Academics from Karachi
Category:Aligarh Muslim University alumni
Category:Pakistani women painters