about

Rabia Tayyabi (b.1994) is a new media artist who engages in a code-based process where she transforms generative animations into prints, sculptures, and installations. Through her practice, Tayyabi explores the interconnectedness of her female, Muslim, Pakistani, Canadian, and American identity and its impact on her life experiences, mental health, and creative expression. Utilizing a visual language of geometric shapes, layering, and vibrant colors, she is influenced by traditional Pakistani textiles, landscapes, and expressionist and gestural art. Tayyabi looks at the layering, movement, and patterning found in these spaces to inform her creative process. The animations are coded using JavaScript, data modulation, for-loops, and trigonometric functions, allowing her to create within a tradition of Islamic geometric design. She uses the mathematical precision found in Islamic art while working in a ritualistic process focused on experimentation and trial and error.

Tayyabi is a Chicago-based artist. She received a B.A. in Psychology and Studio Art with concentrations in Art and Technology and Interaction Design from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. She is on track to complete her Master of Fine Art in Studio Art in May 2023 from the University of Illinois Chicago.