Egyptian artist Rabab Tantawy narrates the human story in multiple ways

Rabab Tantawy is an Egyptian artist based in Dubai whose work is rooted in storytelling through the human form. Over the past decade, she developed a visual language that reinterprets the figures that have appeared in her paintings since 2012. Her work often draws inspiration from Nubian aesthetics, particularly in the way she represents figures in white robes and turbans — symbols of kinship, resilience, and collective strength. Through painting, murals, and sculpture, Tantawy moves between figuration and abstraction, exploring how human presence can be expressed through movement, gesture, and composition.

Her figures have evolved from expressive forms to geometric structures and, at times, only line and colour, reflecting a dialogue between history and transformation. Her large-scale murals can be found across the UAE, including major commissions such as the Yas murals for Aldar Properties (2022, 2024) and her landmark collaboration with McLaren Racing in 2021, where she became the first artist to design a Formula 1 livery. Driven both by instinct and experimentation, Tantawy pushes the boundaries of representation, using art as a space for reflection on collective memory, displacement, and the unseen forces that shape human experience. “For over a decade,” she says, “my work has centered on the human figure — not as an individual portrait, but as a presence shaped by history, movement, and memory.

“The figures I paint are both personal and universal, inspired by cultural aesthetics that have resonated with me throughout my life. Much of my practice draws from the visual language of Nubian traditions — their white robes and turbans forming silhouettes that symbolise resilience, gathering, and protection.” While the figures reference a specific heritage, they are not bound by it; they instead speak to broader ideas of continuity and adaptation, appearing in her work as guardians of memory and belonging. Over time, the figures shifted from representational to abstracted forms, exploring how human presence can exist beyond physical likeness.

Studio Thirteen in action.

In some works, they dissolve into pure movement and colour; in others, they take on a geometric rhythm. The evolution reflects Tantawy’s ongoing search for ways to visualise the as-yet-unseen — whether it is a sense of place, a shared history, or an abstract emotion. Her works have been exhibited widely, including at Sikka Art & Design Festival, Dubai; 1971 Design Space, Sharjah and at NYU’s The Gallatin Galleries, NYC, USA. Her works have been collected by Rennie Museum Collection (curated by Wendy Chang); the private collection of F1 driver, Daniel Riccardo; the private collection of Maxine Davidson; and the private collection of Zak Brown, Mclaren Team Principal.

Brand collaborations include McLaren Racing, livery design, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (2021); Levis – We Are DXB (2021); Karl Lagerfield capsule launch (2022); and for Peugeot (2023). She has created murals for the Al Quoz Creative Zone (Aramtec mural, Dubai Public Art Initiative, 2025); Bluewaters Art Festival (2025); Sikka platform mural (2024); World Art Dubai (2021) and Mother of the Nation (2021). Her installation work was done for UAE National Day at Dubai Design District (2019); World Art Dubai (2018); Tanweer Festival (2024); and Sikka Art & Design Festival (2025). Tantawy has also led and conceptualised Studio Thirteen, a creative hub where artists, enthusiasts and the community come together to learn, share, and celebrate art.

She calls her Nubian Series her “lifelong body of work”. It was begun in 2012, exploring themes of heritage, displacement, and human connection. Rooted in the story of the Nubian people — who were forced from their ancestral land along the Nile by the construction of the Aswan High Dam — the series is a reflection both cultural endurance and the universal experience of migration and belonging. “My figures,” Tantawy says, “faceless, yet deeply expressive, are clad in the traditional white robes and turbans of the Nubians. Sitting closely together, they embody a sense of protection, unity, and guardianship.”

Rabab Tantawy before her work.

The series evolved over time, shifting toward abstraction and expanding in colour palette, yet always maintaining its essential features that of resilience, identity, and the ways people remain connected to their roots, despite displacement. Through The Nubian Series, Tantawy seeks to capture the dual guardianship of both cultural heritage and the earth itself. The figures, rendered over the years in charcoal, ink, acrylic and oil, stand as markers of memory and durability, reflecting the deep and enduring ties between people, their land, and their cultural identity.

In Tantawy’s The Escape Series, the human figure dissolves into its most essential elements — line, form, and colour. While her earlier works explored figures in close formation, here, they are unbound — fragmented into flowing movements, gestural marks, and layered fields of colour. In the absence of a singular subject that anchors the composition, The Escape Series invites viewers into a space where interpretation is fluid and visible and invisible forces work together.

In The Constructed Series of artworks, the focus is on the essence of human connectivity and shared ambitions of humanity, emphasising the innate desire for camaraderie and a sense of inclusion. The artwork involves abstract representations of human figures, intertwined by lines and geometric patterns, embodying the intricate network of relationships and connections that are primary elements of the collective experience. Through bold colours, the artist conveys the powerful energy that flows in relationships, underlining the idea that we are all essential pieces of a grander scheme. It serves as a reminder of the importance of empathy, understanding and unity, in an interlinked world.