Zarina Bhimji

Zarina Bhimji is a Ugandan-Asian photographer whose work focuses on landscape and architecture, with the aim of uncovering the human histories within them. Focusing on capturing specific moments in time, Zarina uses light, colour and texture to explore ideas of institution and inheritance. 

In her recent monograph Lead White (2018), Zarina used editing and physical crafts – such as embroidery – to explore the history of Zanzibar via its national archives. The work highlights details including words, embossing, and stamps, considering the different ways the archives are classified and the implications of this on institutional identity. 

Zarina featured in a number of high profile exhibitions in 2020, including the Royal Academy of Art’s Summer Exhibition. During 2020 and 2021, Sarjahart Art Foundation hosted Zarina Bhimji: Black Pocket, an exhibition which displayed artworks spanning Zarina’s entire career to date.