Rabab Tantawy, a Cairo native born in 1971, grew up seeing her mother create art. Rabab kept an interest in the arts and trained in a number of skills even if she didn’t initially pursue an artistic career. Rabab continued to be interested in the arts and taught herself several techniques ranging from more traditional materials like oil painting to more contemporary ones like spray paints
Rabab started her artistic career by actively pursuing street art and taking part in many exhibitions. Rabab claims, “You were just a vessel; all you had to do was show up, and a painting just came through you.
The artist employed a range of mediums to create a humorous take on the frequently weighty subjects that serve as the foundation of her work. Her main concerns are community, heritage, and togetherness.
She tries to close the gap by depicting these topics from the angle of universality, whereas many artists tackle these concerns from diverse perspectives. Rabab asserts that part of being an artist is constantly evolving your work. This is accomplished by being open to all fresh perspectives.
The artist has incredible talent, Rabab doesn’t make any drawings. Instead, she directs downloads using the canvas as a platform. There are no requirements for a project’s completion. The process of production is, in some ways, the product.
Line and colour are the cornerstones on which her artwork is based. Every piece of art, whether realistic or abstract, starts with a line. The lines act as a framework, affecting every step of the artistic creation process. Whether the painting has soft, flowing lines or strong, angular ones, the rhythm of the painting is established during this procedure. Rabab skillfully switches between traditional earthy colours and vibrant neon colours in the same series, when many artists prefer to work with constrained colour palettes.