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Rabia Zuberi

Rabia Zuberi was a Pakistani sculptor, painter, and educator, widely regarded as Pakistan’s first woman sculptor and affectionately known as the “Queen Mother of Arts.” Founder and principal of the Karachi School of Art, she dedicated over five decades to both her craft and to nurturing generations of Pakistani artists. She represents pioneering courage, institutional legacy, and a socially conscious artistic vision that gave voice to overlooked struggles through sculpture and painting.

Sculptures Created
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Total documented awards
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Pride of Performance (2009)

Career Highlights

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Personal Life

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Rabia Zuberi passed away on 16 January 2022 in Karachi leaving behind a significant artistic and educational legacy that continues to be remembered by the Pakistani art community

The Karachi School of Art continues to stand as one of the most important parts of Rabia Zuberi’s contribution to Pakistan’s art education

Her important sculptures including Peace Message to the Progressive World remain associated with the permanent collection of the National Art Gallery in Islamabad

Through decades of institutional leadership Rabia Zuberi mentored and influenced generations of artists designers and students

Her career continues to be recognized for breaking barriers for women in Pakistani sculpture and establishing a lasting space for female artists within the country's visual arts landscape

Her sculptures and drawings remain notable for addressing social realities including the struggles of laborers mothers and marginalized communities

Career Highlights

2022
Passing & Lasting Legacy
Passing & Lasting Legacy
Rabia Zuberi passed away on 16 January 2022 in Karachi, remembered by thousands of former students and the broader Pakistani art community as a transformative figure in the country's art education landscape.
2010s
Continued Institutional Leadership She
Continued Institutional Leadership She
She continued to lead the Karachi School of Art and served as former chairperson of the Pakistan Arts Council, mentoring generations of artists and desig ners even as her personal sculpting took a back seat to her institutional work.
2009–2010
Pride of Performance
Pride of Performance
Zuberi was awarded Pakistan's Pride of Performance by the President of Pakistan, in recognition of her contributions to Pakistani art, particularly her poignant paintings and sculptures depicting social themes.
2003
National Art Gallery Exhibition & Lifetime Achievement Award
National Art Gallery Exhibition & Lifetime Achievement Award
Her sculptures, including "Peace Message from the Progressive World" and "Peace Message," were acquired by the National Art Gallery, Pakistan, the same year she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pakistan National Council of Arts.
1965
Founding of Karachi School of Art
Founding of Karachi School of Art
Alongside her sister Hajra Mansoor, Zuberi founded Mina Art School — named after their father — which was later renamed the Karachi School of Art (KSA), becoming the city's first private art institution and her life's defining legacy.
1961
Migration to Pakistan
Migration to Pakistan
Zuberi's family relocated from Kanpur, India, to Pakistan, after which she and her sister, artist Hajra Mansoor, joined them in Karachi to pursue their artistic careers.
1950s
Early Artistic Beginnings
Early Artistic Beginnings
Rabia Zuberi began painting at around ten years old, showing early talent that would shape her lifelong devotion to the arts.

Personal Life

Early Life

Full Name: Rabia Zuberi

Birthdate: 1940

Birthplace/Hometown: Kanpur, United Provinces, British India (present-day Uttar Pradesh, India)

Background: Born into an artistically inclined family; her father, Anis Mustafa Mina Zuberi, inspired the naming of the art school she would later found in Karachi. Her sister, Hajra Mansoor, also became a celebrated Pakistani painter.

Education

Higher Education: Graduated from Aligarh Muslim University before attending the Lucknow College of Arts and Crafts alongside her sister Hajra.

Family & Personal Life

Marital Status: Never married; devoted her life fully to art and the development of the Karachi School of Art, which left her little time to raise a family.

Family Legacy: Sister of celebrated painter Hajra Mansoor, with whom she co-founded the Karachi School of Art.

Values: A socially conscious artist whose subtle feminism and empathy for laborers and struggling mothers deeply informed her sculptures and drawings.

Lifestyle

Impact & Influence:

Rabia Zuberi is regarded as Pakistan’s pioneering woman sculptor, credited with breaking new ground for women in Pakistani fine arts while shaping generations of artists through her institution.

Institutional Legacy:

Founded and led the Karachi School of Art for over five decades, building the institution “brick by brick” and transforming it into a pivotal center for Pakistani art education.

Notable Works:

Her magnum opus, “Peace Message to the Progressive World” — a seven-piece bronze, fiber, and steel sculpture — remains part of the National Art Gallery’s permanent collection in Islamabad.

Recognition:

Received the Pride of Performance (2009) and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pakistan National Council of Arts (2003), among the country’s highest honors for artistic contribution.

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FAQ's

Who was Rabia Zuberi?

Rabia Zuberi was Pakistan’s first woman sculptor, celebrated as the “Queen Mother of Arts” and founder of the Karachi School of Art.

She’s famous for founding the Karachi School of Art in 1965 and for her sculpture “Peace Message to the Progressive World,” part of the National Art Gallery’s collection.

She received the Pride of Performance in 2009 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pakistan National Council of Arts in 2003.

She passed away on 16 January 2022 in Karachi, Pakistan, at the age of 81.

Rabia Zuberi Said:

“Art is not only about creating forms but about giving expression to the realities emotions and struggles that surround us”

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