Rabab Tantawy is an Egyptian multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans painting, sculpture, and large-scale public murals. Her striking body of work investigates themes of human connection, visual storytelling, and cultural continuity, drawing deep inspiration from her Nubian heritage. Born and raised in Cairo, now based in Dubai, Rabab’s creative perspective has been shaped by a lifelong awareness of living between layered cultural and social identities. Over the years, she has evolved a portfolio that moves seamlessly from studio canvases to major public art installations. Her large-scale murals, often characterized by community engagement and vibrant visual language, transform urban environments into interactive spaces that encourage participation through dynamic forms and vivid color. Notably, in 2021, Rabab became the first Arab woman to design a McLaren F1 livery for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, further cementing her dynamic influence on the international stage. Her latest projects include the installation of her sculpture The Guardians in the Mleiha desert as part of the Tanweer Festival, and new explorations in sculptural drawing and process-based mark-making. As the founder of Studio Thirteen, Rabab has also become a pivotal force in supporting emerging and mid-career artists through a collaborative and nurturing creative hub in Dubai.
Below, Art&Gulf Magazine sits down with Rabab Tantawy for an in-depth conversation about heritage, process, and the enduring power of creative authenticity.
1. Your work often explores the themes of heritage, culture, and identity. Can you tell us how your Egyptian roots influence your visual language and choice of symbols in your murals?
My Egyptian roots have always grounded my work. The figures I paint, the symbols I use, and the repetition of form all come from a visual language deeply connected to land, memory, and a sense of belonging. It’s a way of honoring where I come from, of keeping stories alive that are at risk of being forgotten. At the same time, I’ve lived in the UAE for over 22 years, and this land has shaped me just as profoundly. It’s where I became an artist, and where my understanding of community, identity, and creative expression expanded. In both places, I feel a pull to protect and celebrate heritage, not through nostalgia, but through reinvention. My murals are a form of guardianship of such traditions and a way to make our culture visible in a Public setting, for everyone to see and experience.
2. Mural projects often involve collaboration and engagement with public spaces. How do you approach connecting with the local communities where you paint, and how do they shape the final artwork?
I believe that Public art is a conversation between the artist and the public. Before I start a mural, I spend time observing the area and understanding the stories that live in the space. I’ve lived in many of the areas I’ve painted in long enough to see them transform over the years, and that gives me a deeper connection to their evolving identity. That energy always finds its way into the work. I see the mural as something that should feel familiar to the people who live around it, even if they don’t know why. It’s about creating something that belongs to the space, not just placed on it.
“I see the mural as something that should feel familiar to the people who live around it, even if they don’t know why. It’s about creating something that belongs to the space, not just placed on it.”
my latest Mural
3. You frequently incorporate organic shapes and vibrant color palettes in your art. What draws you to these forms, and how do they contribute to the stories you aim to tell?
There’s a real sense of freedom in the way I create, I rarely plan things in advance. I start with a feeling or an impulse and let the work unfold on its own terms. The organic forms come from that approach. They allow me to move instinctively, without constraints or rigid structure. The same goes for color, it’s never premeditated. I respond to the mood, the movement, the space, and the energy of the figures. I think that spontaneity brings something honest to the work. Even when the themes are complex, I want the process, and the final outcome to feel alive, open, and emotionally charged.
4. As an artist who works across different mediums, from canvas to large-scale murals, how does your creative process change depending on the format and the scale of your work?
Scale changes everything, how you move, how you plan, how you think. In the studio, working on canvas is more introspective. It’s just me and the work. Murals are the opposite: they’re physical, often collaborative, and exist within a public rhythm. With murals, you have to consider elements like architecture, weather, even traffic. The process becomes more strategic, but I still try to maintain spontaneity where I can. Each format feeds the other. What I discover on a wall often shows up later in my paintings, and vice versa.
“What I discover on a wall often shows up later in my paintings, and vice versa.”
The Mclaren Livery I designed for the AbuDhabi Grand Prix
5. Looking back at your artistic journey so far, what have been the biggest challenges and most rewarding moments, and what message do you hope viewers take away from your art?
I never set out to become an artist. I started creating out of a need to express, to explore, and to hold space for something that felt truly mine. The biggest challenge came later, when I began to encounter the unspoken rules of the art world, expectations around academic credentials or institutional approval as measures of legitimacy. And yes, those ideas still linger. But I’ve learned not to let them define me.
The most meaningful moments have come from staying true to my own path, and the feeling of fulfilment I felt when the work resonates with others and creates space for connection. If there’s one thing I hope people take away from my journey, it’s that you don’t need to fit into someone else’s definition of what an artist should be. Just keep creating in the direction that feels true to you.
In speaking with Rabab Tantawy, it becomes clear that her creative journey is as vibrant, authentic, and layered as her celebrated artworks. Her unwavering dedication to honoring heritage while embracing transformation reminds us that art is both personal and unifying—an experience shaped by openness, resilience, and shared stories.
Editorial Staff 2025
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