Artist Biography
Mary Katrina Shemza (b.1937) was born and educated in Stafford. She is the widow of the late well-known abstract painter Anwar Jalal Shemza. Sharing a love of painting, abstraction and calligraphy Mary worked alongside Anwar until his death in 1985. She continues to work today in the South East of England.
Mary undertook her art training in both Stafford and London, where she became a full time art teacher and later head of department. Her career as an art educator spanned over 30 years after which she moved to Eastbourne. From 1989 onwards she concentrated on her art practice.
As a painter, her work communicates through a synopsis of the basic visual elements: line, colour, tone and texture with an emphasis on the calligraphic resonance of line. Over the years she has explored many media such as, ink, plaster, oil paint, watercolour and even sand.
She has exhibited all over the world since the 1960s including the Art Council of Pakistan in 1961, Canberra Theatre Gallery, Australia, 1987 and most recently at the Birley Centre, Eastbourne in 2018. Her published work includes a weekly column on Art and Design for Kipling’s newspaper, The Civil Military Gazette and an article in Third Text 8/9.
Mary Katrina Shemza (b.1937) was born and educated in Stafford. She is the widow of the late well-known abstract painter Anwar Jalal Shemza. Sharing a love of painting, abstraction and calligraphy Mary worked alongside Anwar until his death in 1985. She continues to work today in the South East of England.
Mary undertook her art training in both Stafford and London, where she became a full time art teacher and later head of department. Her career as an art educator spanned over 30 years after which she moved to Eastbourne. From 1989 onwards she concentrated on her art practice.
As a painter, her work communicates through a synopsis of the basic visual elements: line, colour, tone and texture with an emphasis on the calligraphic resonance of line. Over the years she has explored many media such as, ink, plaster, oil paint, watercolour and even sand.
She has exhibited all over the world since the 1960s including the Art Council of Pakistan in 1961, Canberra Theatre Gallery, Australia, 1987 and most recently at the Birley Centre, Eastbourne in 2018. Her published work includes a weekly column on Art and Design for Kipling’s newspaper, The Civil Military Gazette and an article in Third Text 8/9.
Curriculum Vitae
Exhibitions: Solo
1961, Karachi, Arts Council of Pakistan
1961, Lahore, Arts Council of Pakistan
1962, Rawalpindi, Society of Contemporary Arts Gallery
1966, Oxford, Overy Mill Gallery
1985, Islamabad, Rhotas Gallery, Pakistan
1987, Canberra, Theatre Gallery, Australia
1991, Stafford, High House
1992, Keele, University Gallery
1992, Stafford, ArtGallery
1992, Alsager, ManchesterMetropolitan University
1992, Stafford, High House
1993, Stafford, High House
1995, Eccleshall, Library Gallery
1995, Birmingham, Botanical Gardens Gallery
1995, Birmingham, University of Birmingham, Winterbourne Gallery
1997, Shrewsbury, Gateway Education and Arts Centre Gallery
1997, Eccleshall, Library Gallery
1998, Ilkley, Manor House
1999, Chigwell, Public School, Gallery and Sculpture Court
2001, Belfort, CulturalCentre, France
2003, Stafford, Culturegen Glasshouses Gatehouse Theatre
2004, Tamworth, Art Projects Lovells Partnership
2005, Stafford, Culturegen County Showground
2006, Lahore, National College of Arts
2006, Rawalpindi, National College of Arts
2012, Alfriston, The Coach House Gallery
2018, Eastbourne, The Birley Centre
Open Studio
Stafford, 1994-2006
Eastbourne Artist Open Houses, 2007-2019
Group
Exhibitions in Stafford, Lichfield, Burton, Stoke-on Trent, Shrewsbury, Ellsmere, Keele, Manchester, London, and Milan International Drawing Biennials
1970 and 1972, Rijeka Yugoslavia.
1973, Teeside England.
1974, New York USA
Collections
Represented in National Collections in Pakistan and personal collections in America, Australia, Britain, Denmark, France, Hungary Kenya and Pakistan.
Galleries
John Street, Ashbourne.
Sculptura, Altringham.
Sculptastic, London.
Exhibitions: Solo
1961, Karachi, Arts Council of Pakistan
1961, Lahore, Arts Council of Pakistan
1962, Rawalpindi, Society of Contemporary Arts Gallery
1966, Oxford, Overy Mill Gallery
1985, Islamabad, Rhotas Gallery, Pakistan
1987, Canberra, Theatre Gallery, Australia
1991, Stafford, High House
1992, Keele, University Gallery
1992, Stafford, ArtGallery
1992, Alsager, ManchesterMetropolitan University
1992, Stafford, High House
1993, Stafford, High House
1995, Eccleshall, Library Gallery
1995, Birmingham, Botanical Gardens Gallery
1995, Birmingham, University of Birmingham, Winterbourne Gallery
1997, Shrewsbury, Gateway Education and Arts Centre Gallery
1997, Eccleshall, Library Gallery
1998, Ilkley, Manor House
1999, Chigwell, Public School, Gallery and Sculpture Court
2001, Belfort, CulturalCentre, France
2003, Stafford, Culturegen Glasshouses Gatehouse Theatre
2004, Tamworth, Art Projects Lovells Partnership
2005, Stafford, Culturegen County Showground
2006, Lahore, National College of Arts
2006, Rawalpindi, National College of Arts
2012, Alfriston, The Coach House Gallery
2018, Eastbourne, The Birley Centre
Open Studio
Stafford, 1994-2006
Eastbourne Artist Open Houses, 2007-2019
Group
Exhibitions in Stafford, Lichfield, Burton, Stoke-on Trent, Shrewsbury, Ellsmere, Keele, Manchester, London, and Milan International Drawing Biennials
1970 and 1972, Rijeka Yugoslavia.
1973, Teeside England.
1974, New York USA
Collections
Represented in National Collections in Pakistan and personal collections in America, Australia, Britain, Denmark, France, Hungary Kenya and Pakistan.
Galleries
John Street, Ashbourne.
Sculptura, Altringham.
Sculptastic, London.