Lot Essay
Frequently, Zarina's work explores the tenuous presence of geographical boundaries, and the ambiguous definition of words like 'nation' and 'home'. Playing upon the simultaneous ability of borders to divide and unite, the concept of cartography assumes an increased significance for the artist considering both her youth in pre-partitioned India and her unique conception of nationality and origin. Her extensive travels through Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia have eroded the distinctions between place, home and location, leading Zarina to call more than twenty different cities and towns her 'home'. Influenced by the work of conceptual artists like Lucio Fontana, Yves Klein and Jean Arp as well as the minimal sculptures of Richard Serra, her work employs complex thought processes to produce clean, uncomplicated art.