Resume

Salma Arastu

2547 8th St. Studio #37, Berkeley 94710
(484) 554-6035
www.salmaarastu.com

Education

1988 Northampton Community College, Bethlehem, PA
Associate Degree in Advertising Design

1974 Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda, India
MFA

1972 Jawaharlal University, Hyderabad, India
BFA

Awards

2025 RCCD Residency award from Emeryville for the month of June at Bay Street, Emeryville

2025 Art Residency award for the month of April, at Studio Kura, Itoshima, Fukuoka, Japan

2020 East Bay Community Foundation’s “Fund for Artists”, Oakland, CA

2016 City of Berkeley Individual artist grant, Berkeley, CA

2015 City of Berkeley Individual artist grant, Berkeley, CA

2014 City of Berkeley Individual artist grant, Berkeley, CA

2014 East Bay Community Foundation’s “Fund for Artists”, Oakland, CA

2012 East Bay Community Foundation’s “Fund for Artists”, Oakland, CA

2005 Honorable Mention, Lehigh Art Alliance Show, Bethlehem, PA

2004 First Place, Northeastern Regional Art Show, Marywood University, Scranton, PA

2004 First Place, Lehigh Art Alliance Annual Show, Bethlehem, PA

2001 Honorable Mention, Berks Art Alliance Show, Reading Art Museum, Reading, PA

2001 Honorable Mention, Harrisburg Art Museum, Harrisburg, PA

2000 Quakertown National Bank Award, Lehigh Art Alliance Show, Bethlehem, PA

1995 Second Prize in Works on Paper, Soho, New York, NY

1995 Second Place in Painting, West Park Civic Association, Allentown, PA

1992 Best Painting Award, Easton Hospital’s Annual Show, Easton, PA

1988 Best Painting Award, Northampton Community College, Bethlehem, PA

1980 First Place Award in Painting, AP Lalit Kala Academy, India

1979 First Place Award in Painting, Bhartiya Kala Parishad, India

1974 First Place Award in Etching, Gujarat Lalit Kala Academy, India

1973 Scholarship Award to study master’s Program at MS University, India

Solo Exhibitions

2025 January Jan 8- Feb 5, Soil and Soul: Eco Spirituality, University of Redlands Gallery, Redlands, CA

2023 August-September, Tiny Creatures, Art Works Downtown, , San Rafael, CA

2023 March 1st to March 31st, We Are All One, Lindsay Dirkx Brown Galley, San Ramon, CA

2021 April1st to 30th, Our Earth: Embracing All Communities, Abrams Claghorn Gallery, Albany, NY

2021 January 9th to March 10th, Meditations on Rumi, Think Round Fine Art, San Francisco, CA

2020 March 1st to May 31st, Memory Vignettes, Oakland Asian Cultural Center, Oakland, CA

2019 October 11th to January 11th, Seeking Oneness, Graduate Theological Institute Library Gallery, Berkeley, CA

2018 March 18-June 30, Myth & Mystery, Arts at CIIS, San Francisco, CA

2018 March 18-May 30, Celebrating the Art of Calligraphy, Musical Bridges Gallery, San Antonio, TX

2017 April 2 through May ArtReach, Celebration of Calligraphy, First Congregational Church, Portland, OR

2016 January 17-March 23, Celebration of Calligraphy, Peninsula Art Museum, Burlingame, CA

2015 September 30 to December 11, Multicultural Center, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA

2015 September 13–December 6, Museum of Contemporary Religious Art. St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO

2015 March 1st-March 31st, Levantine Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA

2014 Feb-March, Robert Graves Gallery, Wenatchee Valley College, Wenatchee, WA September-November, Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, CA

2013 March-April, Art the Y, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL

2013 1st March-March 31st, Expressions Gallery, Berkeley, CA

2012 June-July, Dominican University Gallery, San Rafael, CA

2012 September-October, King Gallery, Unitarian Universalist at San Francisco, CA

2011-2013 A temporary exhibition, Art in Embassies, US Department of State, US Embassy Rangoon, Burma

2011 March-April, Commonwealth Club, San Francisco, CA

2009 October, California Institute of Integral Studies Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2009 May, Kalart Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2008 November – December: Community Gallery, Alta Bates, Berkeley, CA February: Hot Mango Pickle Gallery, Palo Alto, CA

2007 October: Monsoon Galleries, Bethlehem, PA April: Chandler Fine Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2006 September: ArtJaz Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2005 September: The Hope Horn Gallery, Scranton University, Scranton, PA

2005 October: Monsoon Galleries, Bethlehem, PA

2005 April: Fayberger Gallery, Penn State University, Reading PA

2004 February: Radford University Art Museum, Radford University, Radford,VA

2004 May: The Art Alliance, Cornwell, NY

2004 April: Gelabert Studios Gallery, New York, NY

2003 April: ArtJaz Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2002 April: Black Cultural Center, Lafayette College, Easton, PA

2002 May: Barnes & Noble, Broadway, New York, NY

2002 April: Open Space Gallery, Allentown, PA

2001 April – May: An invitational exhibition of paintings and six-week residency program in Schwabisch Gmund, Germany

2000 September: ArtJaz Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

1999 June: Reading Art Museum, Reading, PA

1998 February: Art Heritage, New Delhi, India

1998 June: Art Gallery De Art Magic, Easton, PA 1097 January: “A Gallery,” New York, NY

1997 October: Hub Gallery, Moravian College, Bethlehem, PA

1996 September: The Gallery, Northampton Community College, Bethlehem, PA

1993 May: Design Accent, Allentown, PA

1992 October: Cedar Crest College, Allentown, PA

1992 September: Powers Art Gallery, East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, PA

1991 September: Fine Arts Commission, Rotunda Gallery, Bethlehem, PA

1990 November: East Penn Emerging Artists’ Exhibition, John’s United Church of Christ, Kutztown, PA

1989 October: Springer Gallery, Allentown, PA

1989 March: DuBois Gallery & Display Cases, Maginnes Hall, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA

1988 October: Open Space Gallery, Allentown, PA

1986 January: Boushari Gallery, Kuwait City, Kuwait

1984 May: British Council Gallery, Kuwait City, Kuwait

1981 June: Kala Bhavan Gallery, Hyderabad, India

1979 October: Shridharani Gallery, New Delhi, India

1978 November: Azad Gallery, Tehran, Iran

1977 September: Art Gallery, Hotel Intercontinental, Tehran, Iran

1976 March: Kala Bhavan Gallery, Hyderabad, India

1975 June: Kala Bhavan Gallery, Hyderabad, India

1973 May: Academy of Fine Arts Gallery, Calcutta, India

Selected Group Exhibitions

2025 May, Refuge, Kitsune Community Studio , Half Moon Bay, CA

2006-2007 Four shows sponsored by Pennsylvania Council on the Arts in State College, Harrisburg, Pittsburg, and Philadelphia, PA

2006 In a State of Emergency, Alwan for the Arts, New York, NY

2006 Eyes on Me: Portraits of Muslim Women, Gruss Center of Visual Arts, The Lawrenceville School, Lawrenceville, NJ

2005 Spring show, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 2005 Space Spurgeon Gallery, Santa Ana, CA

2004 State College Gallery, State College, PA

2003 Berks Art Alliance, Reading Museum, Reading, PA

2003 Muslim Women Artists, Anne Fisher Gallery, Washington, DC 2003 Muslim Women Artists, Ramone Gallery, New York, NY 2002 Book Exhibit, Museum of Contemporary Art, Costa Rica

2002 Diversity Art Gallery, Clark, NJ

2002 Berks Art Alliance, Reading Art Museum, Reading, PA 2001 ArtJaz Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2001 National Acrylic Show, Salmagundi Club, New York, NY

2001 Annual Juried exhibition, State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA 2001 Miniature art show, Banana Factory, Bethlehem, PA

1999 M A C Show, Cheltenham Center for the Arts, Cheltenham, PA 1999 M A C show, Ramsey’s II, Pittsburgh, PA

1999 Invitational show at United Nations’ Turkish Plaza, New York, NY 1999 Asian American Arts Center, New York, NY

1999 Gallery at 678, New York, NY 1997 CCC Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

1997 Minority Arts Council Show, Philadelphia, PA 1997 Museum of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA

1997 Doshi Center for Contemporary Art, Harrisburg, PA 1997 Permanent Mission of India, New York, NY

1997 Allentown Art Museum, Allentown, PA 1996 Main Street Gallery, Nyack, NY

1996 Bixler’s Gallery, Stroudsburg, PA 1995 Cedar Crest College, Allentown, PA

1994 Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 1994 Ceres Art Gallery, New York, NY

1994 La Mama La Gallery, New York, NY

Selected Bibliography

2021, Breaking Religious and Cultural Barriers Through Art ft. Salma Arastu,

2021 American Muslim Project: Bringing people together through Art with Salma Arastu

2020 With canvas and Quran, one artist aims to make Islamic calligraphy a universal language,

2017, CELEBRATION OF CALLIGRAPHY, Sacred Words in Art,

2015 Calligraphic artist Salma Arastu’s MOCRA works aim to build bridges between faiths, St. Louis, MO

2015 The Calligraphic Art of Salma Arastu’ makes art from sacred texts, St. Louis, MO

2015 Salma Arastu: An Appreciation, San Francisco, CA

2015 Dreamweavers: Salma Arastu- A sculptor of the Spirit, CA

2014 Salma Arastu: Lyrical Lines Of Art And Spirituality, CA

2014 A Show of Faith: GALLERY OPENS ITS DOORS TO MIDDLE EASTERN ART

2013 Interview with Voice of America, Washington, DC

2013 Salma Arastu, a Multi-talented Artist, By Abdus Sattar Ghazali

2011 Image Journal: SalmaA Arastu, CA

2009 SF Art News: Alternatives in Alternative Spaces– KALART GALLERY, CA

2010 Michael Singman-Aste: “Flow of Humanity” The Island, Alameda News, Alameda, CA

2009 TIKKUN DAILY: LORD KRISHNA DANCES IN, CA

2009 Salma Arastu’s art book “The Lyrical Line: Embracing All and Flowing” is published by Half Full Press from Oakland, CA

2009 Rose Khalid:” Arriving on the Art Scene” Azizah, Atlanta, GA Volume 5 Issue 2 2009 Tahseen Usmani: “Conveying Artful Messages” Span, US Embassy, New Delhi, India 2009 Priya Das: India Currents, San Jose, California

2009 Lavina Melwani:” Searching for The Divine” The Indian Express, North American Edition, April 24 2009 Alana Y. Price:” Painting Past Borders” Tikkun, Berkeley, CA, July/August

2009 Priya Das: India Currents, San Jose, California, April

2007 Geoff Gehman: The Morning Call, Allentown, PA, October 16 2007 Fatima Khan: Pakistan Link, Los Angeles, CA, May

2006 Jacqueline Ruyak: Dharma World, Vol. 33, Tokyo, Japan, October – December

2005 Geoff Gehman: “Swansong show at Monsoon exhibits unity of the universe,” The Morning Call, Allentown, PA, September 15

2004 Fawad Siddiqui: “Greeting Life,” Horizon, an Islamic art magazine in North America, September 2004 Kubiley Akman: “Modern Dervish [Modern Bir Kadir Dervis],” Gencsanat, a Turkish art magazine, Turkey, May

2004 Kristin E. Holmes: “Art aiming to bring diverse people to one God,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, PA, January 14

2003 Lee Klein: “Art on the Eve of Destruction,” Performing Arts Journal 75, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, September

2003 Diana Cercone: “The Featured Artist – Salma Arastu,” Art Matters, Philadelphia, PA, October 2002 Lee Klein: “This is the one,” NY Arts Magazine, New York, NY, May

2002 Al Zagorsky: “The Lyrical Line and the women,” Times-News, Lehighton, PA, April 13

2002 Geoff Gehrman: “Lyrical pilgrimages, rituals are Arastu’s palette,” The Morning Call, Allentown, PA, April 14

2002 Ken Endick: The Express Times, Easton, PA, February

2002 Tony Z: “After 9/11 show,” The Morning Call, Allentown, PA, February

1998 Charlotta Kotik: “Salma Arastu, Traditional and Contemporary Imagery,” Salma Arastu: Recent Paintings Catalog, Art Heritage, New Delhi, India, March

1998 Kathryn Williams: “Salma Arastu finds American niche with acrylics, greeting cards,” Inside the Arts, Lehigh Valley, PA, May

1998 Geoff Gehman: “In Easton, graceful illusions by Salma Arastu,” The Morning Call, Allentown, PA, June 1998 Ken Endick: “Islamic Influences,” Express-Times, Easton, PA, June

1998 Geoff Gehman: “Mythic Image could create legends of its own,” The Morning Call, Allentown, PA, May 1998 Kenneth J. Endick: “New art show focuses on Mythic Imagery,” The Express-Times, Easton, PA, May 1998 Lavina Melwani: “Guided by the Unseen,” Art in India Magazine, Mumbai, India, April

1998 Patricia Summers: Art Matters, Philadelphia, PA, June

1998 Isadore LaDuca: “At De Arte Magic,” Irregular, Easton, PA, June 3

1998 Lavina Melwani: “A Bite of the Big Apple,” India Today, North American Special, NY, February 1998 “Admirable Fusion of Grace & Energy,” Asia Observer, New York, NY, January

1998 “Kamlesh Arastu’s Exhibition at ‘A Gallery,’” News India Times, New York, NY, February 1990 The Globe-Times, Bethlehem, PA, August

1989 Joan Campion: “Artist’s Universe is a place of swirling motion,” Free Press, Quakertown, PA 1989 Geoff Gehman: “Artist Arastu tunes her work to dance of life,” The Morning Call, Allentown, PA 1989 Mary Manotta: “Her abstracts reflect Nature,” The Globe-Times, Bethlehem, PA, March

1989 Lavina Melwani: “Catching the fleeting moment,” India Worldwide, New York, NY, March

1988 Tim Higgins: “Open Space group show has variety and vitality,” The Morning Call, Allentown, PA

1984 Promila Sharma: “No halt in Salma’s world,” Kuwait Times, Kuwait, February 2 1984 Fatima Ahmed: “Painting is a way of life for Salma,” Arab Times, Kuwait, February 3

1984 Susan Litherland: “Salma’s Art Reflects Dramatic Movement,” Kuwait Times, Kuwait

1981“Dard Ki Seedhiyan” (Exploring Steps in the realm of Pain) in the Hindi language published with a grant from Andhra Pradesh Sahitya Kala (Literary Arts) Academy, Hyderabad, India.

1979 Keshav Malik: “An Outstanding work by Kamlesh,” The Times of India, New Delhi, India, October 1979 Swadesh Arora: “Rhythmic Paintings,” The Evening News, New Delhi, India, September

1978 Kayhan International, Tehran, Iran, September 13 1978 Tehran Journal, Tehran, Iran, August 20

1978 Tehran Journal, Tehran, Iran, October 26

1978 Kayhan International, Tehran, Iran, October 19

1975 “A Fervent Artist,” The Hindu, Hyderabad, India, February 7

1975 “Striking Paintings by Kamlesh,” The Deccan Chronicle, Hyderabad, India, February 5 1973 Art critic: The Statesman, Calcutta, India, April 2

Public Art

2012 Dancing with the Stars- exhibition at San Rafael City Hall, CA

2010 Public sculpture- Eight feet tall and four feet wide water-jet-cut Steel and Copper “Dancing with the Stars” installed at Port of San Diego, CA

2011 Public sculpture – Ten feet tall and 6 feet wide laser-cut Aluminum sculpture “The Celebration of Arts” installed at Steel Stacks Bethlehem, PA

Five large painting murals for Beirut Restaurant, Allentown, PA

Selected Public Collections

ISNA Islamic Society of North America, Washington, DC

Zaytuna College, Berkeley, CA

Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, CA The County of Alameda, Oakland, CA

Museum of Contemporary Religious Art, St. Louis University, St, Louis, Missouri Counseling Office in St. Louis. Missouri

Al Mayya LLC, Fujairah -UAE

9/11 Memorial Museum, New York, NY

Islamic Museum of Australia, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Artsquest, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

St. Luke’s Hospital, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Counseling and Wellness Center at University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida State Museum of the Arts, Harrisburg, PA

Museum of Modern Art, Hyderabad, India Salarjung Museum, Hyderabad, India National Gallery of Art, New Delhi, India Lehigh Valley Hospital, Allentown, PA Pennsylvania Power & Light, Allentown, PA Spring Health Clinic, Bethlehem, PA

In the US and Canada, more than 300 paintings are in private collections.

Talks and Presentations

2022 – Our Earth: Embracing All Communities, San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco, CA 2022 Our Earth: Embracing All Communities, International Museum of Muslim Cultures, Jackson MS 2022 An Inter-Religious Conference, Vancouver School of Theology, Vancouver, Canada

2018 “Seeking Oneness” talk presented at Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA

2017, Search For Meaning Book Festival, Seattle University’s School of Theology, Seattle, WA

2015 Museum of Contemporary Religious Art, So That you Know each other, St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO

2015, “Unity of Sacred Symbols, Words”, Commonwealth Club of San Francisco, CA

2013 Celebration of Calligraphy and Journeys of Love, Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous 2013 Mythos Art Gallery, Berkeley, CA

2012 Stanford University International Club, Francisco, CA

2011 Postmodern Views on Religion and Art, Westphalian Wilhelms-University, Münster, Germany 2011 A blending of Hindu and Islamic Traditions, Commonwealth Club of San Francisco, CA

Curatorial Experience

2020 “Work & Worship” with an exhibition of Muslim Women Artists from the Bay Area at Abrams Claghorn Gallery, Berkeley, CA

2020 Another Exhibition “The Word: Visual Interpretations” with Local Muslim Women Artists is invited by ARC Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2018 “Universal Messages: New Vistas” with an exhibition of Muslim Women Artists from the Bay Area at Berkeley Art Center, CA

Publications

• Six books are published with poems and paintings.
  
  1. Dard Ki Seedhiyan- Poem Collection in Hindi, 1981
  2. The Lyrical Line 2008
  3. Turning Rumi: Singing Verses of Love Unity and Freedom, 2012
  4. Unity of Sacred Texts and Symbols, 2014
  5. Celebration of Calligraphy, 2015
  6. Our Earth: Embracing All Communities, 2021
  7. Seeking Oneness: Embracing Humanity, Soil and Soul, Poem Collection, 2024