Increasingly, as boundaries are being dissolved and interactive realities are becoming evident, the cultures of India and Pakistan are beginning to draw attention. Within the larger exchange of music, cinema and other cultural forms, the contemporary art of the two countries in all its vibrancy begins to have a fascinating new identity. There are many similarities that the art of the two countries share because of their common history. At the same time, divergences also lead to new directions that provide fodder for a cathartic regeneration. The book draws on three vital aspects of contemporary Indian and Pakistani art: first, the historical development which began in colonial times and continued its diverse course in both countries after gaining independence. Second, the distinctive elements in contemporary art re-use their vital traditions, in the case of India, through the incorporation of popular art and in the case of Pakistan, the reinvention of the miniature tradition. Third, is the dynamic and essential work of women artists of India and Pakistan.

Memory, Metaphor, Mutations: The Contemporary Art of India and Pakistan

Arts & Photography

Dalmia, Yashodhara

Hashmi, Salima

History & Criticism

Oxford University Press

Accompanying the first U.S. museum exhibition devoted to contemporary art from Pakistan, this dynamic catalogue provides a groundbreaking look at recent and current trends in Pakistani art. Hanging Fire covers a fascinating range of subjects and media, from installation and video art to sculpture, drawing, and paintings in the “contemporary miniature” tradition. Essays by distinguished contributors from a variety of fields, including Salima Hashmi, Pakistani-American sociologist and historian Ayesha Jalal, and the celebrated novelist Mohsin Hamid, place contemporary Pakistani art in a cultural, historical, and artistic perspective.
The book's title, Hanging Fire, alludes to the contemporary economic, political, and social tensions--both local and global--from which these artists find their creative inspiration. It may also suggest to the viewer to delay judgment, particularly based on assumptions or preconceived notions about contemporary society and artistic expression in Pakistan today.

Hanging Fire: Contemporary Art from Pakistan

Hamid, Mohsin

Reference

The Asia Society Museum

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Books by Hashmi, Salima