Rabia Zuberi
Rabia Zuberi (1940 – 16 January 2022), sometimes referred to in Pakistan as Queen Mother of Arts, 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 include 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.
Rabia Zuberi
- Name
- Rabia Zuberi
- Born
- 1940
- Birthplace
- Kanpur, United Provinces, British Raj (now Uttar Pradesh, India)
- Place of death
- Karachi, Pakistan
- Education
- Aligarh Muslim University Lucknow College of Arts and Crafts
- Known for
- Sculpture, Painting, Drawing
- Awards
- Pride of Performance (2010)
- Died
- 2022
- Nationality
- Pakistan
- Occupation
- sculptor
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Rabia Zuberi (1940 – 16 January 2022), sometimes referred to in Pakistan as Queen Mother of Arts, 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 include 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.
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Rabia Zuberi (1940–2022) was a Pakistani sculptor. The sculptor was born in British Raj. Rabia Zuberi studied at Lucknow College of Arts and Crafts.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 01 October 2026
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wikidata · Q98818486 · wikipedia · Rabia Zuberi
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Rabia Zuberi • Born — 1940 • Birthplace — Kanpur, United Provinces, British Raj (now Uttar Pradesh, India) • Place of death — Karachi, Pakistan • Education — Aligarh Muslim University Lucknow College of Arts and Crafts • Known for — Sculpture, Painting, Drawing • Relatives — Hajra Mansoor (sister) • Awards — Pride of Performance (2010)
Early life
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 and later moved to Lucknow where she attended Lucknow College of Arts and Crafts along with her sister, Hajra Mansoor. 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.
Career
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. 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. 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. 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. The book Rabia Zuberi: Life & Works, according to the Hindustan Times doesn't cover about her migration to Pakistan.
Personal life and death
Personal life and death
Zuberi died in Karachi on 16 January 2022, at the age of 81.
Books
* *
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q98818486: Rabia Zuberi
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Rabia Zuberi”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Awards and recognition
• Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan in 2010
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Salman, Peerzada. Sculptor Rabia Zuberi laid to rest. Dawn. 18 January 2022.
- 2.Singh, Khushwant. Our failing political esteem. Hindustan Times. 1 August 2008.
- 3.Husain, Marjorie. Art work: A tryst with destiny. Dawn. 25 September 2015.
- 4.Department of Fine Arts - Notable Alumni of the Department. Aligarh Muslim University. 14 September 2022.
- 5.Ahmed, Munir. Ninth National Art Exhibition dedicated to nine legendary Pakistani artists commences at PNCA. Daily Times. 23 December 2017.
- 6.Shaikh, Nageen. Exhibition: Rethinking Rabia Zuberi. Dawn. 9 January 2022.
- 7.The revolution that flowered. Dawn. 12 March 2017.
- 8.Fatima, Samar. Exhibition: Rabia's Ethos. Dawn. 20 November 2022.
- 9.Chatterjee, Partha. Gentle rainbow. Frontline. The Hindu Group. 4 December 2009.
- 10.Profile of Rabia Zuberi. Karachi School of Art. 3 April 2019.
- 11.Zuberi, Nadeem. Art Facts: Rabia's creative powers. Business Recorder. 11 June 2016.
- 12.Baig, Zulfiqar. 'Forms of Existence' show on display at PNCA. The Express Tribune. 9 February 2022.
- 13.Muhajir, Tauqeer. Saluting women artists of Pakistan. Khaleej Times. 22 March 2020.
- 14.Rabia Zuberi passes away. Dawn. 17 January 2022.
References
Citations
References
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Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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