Salma Arastu

Salma Arastu (born 1950, Rajasthan, India) is an internationally exhibited woman artist known for her unique global perspective, reflecting her diverse cultural background and experiences. Born in Rajasthan, India, Aratsu pursued her formal education in Fine Arts at Maharaja Sayajirao University in Baroda, India. She was raised in the Sindhi and Hindu traditions and later embraced Islam and moved to the USA in 1986, currently residing in California. As a woman, artist, and mother, Arastu's creative endeavors aim to foster harmony and express the universality of humanity through various art forms, including paintings, sculpture, and poetry. She has also worked extensively with calligraphy and produces greeting cards for the American Muslim community.

Arastu has been exhibiting her paintings for over last forty five years in India, Iran, Kuwait, Germany and the United States, having more than sixty solo and group exhibitions. Furthermore, her work has been placed in many museums around world for example, State Museum of Art, Harrisburg, PA, Museum Of Modern Art, Hyderabad, India, Museum of Contemporary Religious Art, St. Louis, Missouri, Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, CA, 9/11 Memorial Museum, New York, NY, Islamic Museum of Australia, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Her exhibitions have been held in notable places e.g. Stanford Art Spaces, Stanford University, Art Museum, Radford University,  and she has earned several awards for her work.

Artistic Style and Inspirations
Arastu's art is deeply influenced by the imagery, sculpture, and writings of both her Indian heritage and Islamic spirituality.

The artist's experiences in different cultures around the world have further enriched her artistic style. While living and working in Iran and Kuwait, she was exposed to a wealth of Islamic arts and Arabic calligraphy, which continue to inspire her work to this day.

Exhibitions and recognition
Arastu's artistic achievements have led to invitations to various esteemed institutions and events. She presented her work and delivered talks at Stanford University, Commonwealth of San Francisco, Seattle University, Graduate Theological Union at Berkeley, and the Museum of Contemporary Religious Art in St. Louis, Missouri. Additionally, she was invited to Germany twice, once as a Resident Artist in Schwabisch Gmund in 2000 and later by the Westphalia Wilhelm University in Münster in 2011.

In March 2018, Salma Arastu participated in a one-month Artist Residency Program in Morocco, hosted by the Green Olives art Gallery.

Some of her awards are following.


 * 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

Works and Themes
Arastu's works delve into themes of unity in diversity, hope, connection, celebration of the earth and women, and seeking oneness among humanity, soil, and soul. Her art carries a strong ecological consciousness, exemplified in her series "Mycelial Flow" and "Tiny Creatures: Our Invisible Sustainers." In these series, she explores the intricate relationships between organisms, drawing attention to the vital role of microbes in sustaining the ecosystem.

Through her physical and meditative artistic process, Arastu fills her canvases with moving lines and multi-layered textures. She employs various materials, including paper, rope, modeling paste, paper-mache, copper plate, pen, and ink, to create mesmerizing compositions that reveal subliminal images.

Publications and legacy
Salma Arastu is also an accomplished writer, having authored and published five books on her art and poetry:


 * Celebration of calligraphy
 * Our Earth: Embracing All Communities
 * The Lyrical Line
 * Turning Rumi
 * Unity of Sacred Texts and Symbols

Her dedication to creativity and love for creation have become sources of eternal joy and constant inspiration in her life. Through her art, Salma Arastu hopes to spread joy, blessings, and positive inspiration, reflecting her deep connection with humanity and the world around her.

Selected Solo Exhibitions
Salma Arastu has had more than sixty solo exhibitions and even more group exhibitions. Some of her selected solo exhibitions are following.


 * 2023 We Are All One, Lindsay Dirkx Brown Gallery, San Ramon, CA
 * 2021 Abrams Claghorn Gallery, Our Earth: Embracing All Communities, Albany, CA
 * 2021 Think Round Fine Art, Meditations on Rumi, San Francisco, CA
 * 2020 Oakland Asian Cultural Center, Memory Vignettes, Oakland, CA
 * 2019 Graduate Theological Institute Library Gallery, Seeking Oneness, Berkeley, CA
 * 2018 Arts at CIIS, Myth & Mystery, San Francisco, CA
 * 2018 Musical Bridges Gallery, Celebrating the Art Of Calligraphy, San Antonio, TX
 * 2017 ArtReach, First Congregational Church, Portland, OR
 * 2016 Peninsula Art Museum, Burlingame, CA
 * 2015 Multicultural Center, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
 * 2015 Museum of Contemporary Religious Art. St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO
 * 2015 Levantine Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA
 * 2014 Robert Graves Gallery, Wenatchee Valley College, Wenatchee, WA
 * 2014 Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, CA
 * 2013 Art @ the Y, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL
 * 2013 Expressions Gallery, Berkeley, CA
 * 2012 Dominican University Gallery, San Rafael, CA
 * 2012 King Gallery, Unitarian Universalist at San Francisco, CA
 * 2011 A temporary exhibition, Art in Embassies, US Department of State, US Embassy Rangoon, Burma
 * 2011 Commonwealth Club, San Francisco, CA
 * 2009 California Institute of Integral Studies Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA
 * 2009 Kalart Gallery, San Francisco, CA
 * 2008 Community Gallery, Alta Bates, Berkeley, CA
 * 2008 Hot Mango Pickle Gallery, Palo Alto, CA
 * 2007 Monsoon Galleries, Bethlehem, PA
 * 2007 Chandler Fine Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA


 * 2006 September: Artjaz Gallery in Philadelphia, PA
 * 2005 September: The Hope Horn Gallery Scranton University, Scranton PA
 * 2005 April: Penn State University gallery at Berks campus Reading PA
 * 2005 February: Radford University Art Museum, Radford University, Radford, VA
 * 2004 May: The Art Alliance, Cornwell, Upstate New York
 * 2004 April: Gelabert Studios Gallery, New York, NY
 * 2003 April: Artjaz Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
 * 2003 April: Black Cultural Center, Lafayette College, and Easton, PA
 * 2002 May: Barns and Noble, Broadway, New York
 * 2002 April: Open Space Gallery, Allentown, PA
 * 2000 September: ArtJaz Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
 * 2000 June: Sweet cream cafe gallery, Strousburg, PA
 * 2000 An Invitational exhibition of paintings and six-week residency program in Schwabisch Gmund, Germany. 15 March 2000 to the end of April 2000.