Rabia S. Akhtar is a Karachi based visual artist and writer. She received her BFA from the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture in 2015, with a focus on Miniature painting. Within her practice, Rabia examines the conflict between anthropocentric thought and the quasi-sacred dreams of otherworldly animal kingdoms, centering her narratives around the intimate fallacies of childhood memory, loss and fantasy.
Rabia has showcased her work at spaces including Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery (Germany and UK), the Ministry for Gozo (Malta), and Abu Dhabi Art (UAE). In 2023, she received the Nigaah Art Award for Emerging Artist. In 2020, her artist book Bogus Villa Buds was displayed at Focal Point 2020, an annual art book fair by the Sharjah Art Foundation. Rabia has taken part in residencies including a collaborative AiR program by the Valletta 2018 Foundation and Fondazzjoni Kreattività, as well as Locating Word and Taaza Tareen 12, initiated by Vasl Artists’ Collective. She has also written and conducted research for various platforms, including ArtNow Pakistan and the Karachi Biennale Trust.
