Zarina Bhimji, a Ugandan Indian artist born in 1963, is renowned for her evocative photography and film work, which often explores themes of memory, displacement, and the traces of history in landscapes.
Nominated for the Turner Prize in 2007 and featured in prestigious collections such as Tate, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, and Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Bhimji’s work transcends the boundaries of traditional photography and film. Instead, she crafts immersive experiences that speak to the universal emotions of grief, longing, hope, and survival.
Her art, which incorporates the beauty of forgotten places and the silent stories held within their walls, encourages viewers to reflect on human resilience and the lasting imprints of history. Through her unique approach, Zarina Bhimji has established herself as an artist who turns the invisible into visible, compelling the world to listen to the echoes of the past.
Early Life and Education of Zarina Bhimji: Roots in Uganda, Blossoming in London
Born in Mbarara, Uganda, Zarina Bhimji was raised in a region where cultural diversity and history deeply influenced her later work. The expulsion of Asians from Uganda by Idi Amin in the 1970s left an indelible mark on her, shaping her themes of exile, memory, and loss. This experience resonates in much of her work, including her later exploration of Uganda’s landscape, which she approached with a delicate yet piercing eye.
Her academic journey began in the UK, where she studied at Leicester Polytechnic (1982–1983), followed by Goldsmiths’ College (1983–1986), and eventually the prestigious Slade School of Fine Art at University College London (1987–1989). These institutions honed her technical skills while fostering her deep interest in the relationship between art, history, and human emotion. Her artistic voice began to take shape, and she started gaining recognition, including a notable feature in Creative Camera magazine in 1990.
The Power of Absence: Zarina Bhimji’s Unique Vision
Zarina Bhimji’s art is often described as hauntingly beautiful, capturing landscapes and architecture that, while devoid of human figures, are imbued with their presence. This absence allows the viewer to focus on the subtle remnants of human life — the abandoned objects, the cracked walls, and the traces left behind by those who once lived in these spaces.
In her work, walls become silent witnesses. They absorb and reflect history, capturing the stories of those who built them, lived within them, and ultimately left them behind. Bhimji’s photography and films are often noted for their ability to evoke powerful emotions without ever depicting a single person.
Instead, her images serve as metaphors for the emotions she seeks to convey, such as loss, displacement, and survival. The walls of abandoned buildings become testaments to human resilience, bearing the weight of history within their silent, weathered facades.
Expanding Horizons: Film, Photography, and Recognition
Zarina Bhimji’s artistic exploration expanded beyond photography into the world of film, where she found new ways to explore similar themes. In 2002, she participated in Documenta 11, a prestigious international art exhibition held in Kassel, Germany. Her 16mm film, exhibited during this event, solidified her reputation as an artist capable of using both still and moving images to convey deep, universal human emotions.
From 2003 to 2007, Bhimji embarked on extensive travels through India, East Africa, and Zanzibar, immersing herself in the stories of those who had experienced British colonialism. These journeys not only influenced her subject matter but also deepened her understanding of the historical forces that shaped the lives of countless individuals across these regions. Her work during this period involved studying legal documents, conducting interviews, and capturing photographs that revealed the often hidden or erased stories of these regions.
In 2007, Zarina Bhimji was shortlisted for the Turner Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in the contemporary art world. The photographs she exhibited were from Uganda, documenting the grief and loss caused by the forced expulsion of Asians under Idi Amin’s regime. Her Turner Prize display included the film Waiting, which captured the quiet desolation of an abandoned sisal-processing factory. Through her lens, these empty spaces became emotional landscapes, filled with the echoes of the people who once inhabited them.
Capturing History Through Art: Lead White and Yellow Patch
One of Bhimji’s most significant works in recent years is Lead White, a decade-long project that delves deep into the concept of power, beauty, and archives. Exhibited at Tate Britain in 2018/2019, this collection consisted of over 100 unframed photographs, multiple embroideries, and other materials. Through this work, Zarina Bhimji explored how national archives, with their meticulous categorization and bureaucratic formality, reveal deeper institutional ideologies.
Lead White combines both digital and physical craftsmanship, including the use of embroidery for the first time in Bhimji’s practice. This addition draws attention to the textures and traces, the light and shadow that permeate her work. It’s not just a collection of photographs; it’s a meditation on history, categorization, and the unseen forces that shape our world.
Her 2011 film, Yellow Patch, similarly explored themes of migration and trade across the Indian Ocean. Premiering at Whitechapel Gallery and The New Art Gallery Walsall in 2012, Yellow Patch captures the movement of people, goods, and stories that cross borders and span generations.
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