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Rada Akbar, born in 1988 in Afghanistan, is a conceptual artist, photographer, and activist renowned for her work highlighting women’s rights and cultural identity in her home country. Her art spans various mediums, including painting, photography, textiles, performance, and installations, often incorporating traditional Afghan craft techniques and materials.
From 2018 to 2021, Akbar curated the “Superwomen” (“Abarzanan”) exhibition to commemorate International Women’s Day. This project showcased exquisitely crafted gowns representing prominent Afghan women, including poets, mountain climbers, television presenters, royalty, politicians, and musicians who rose to prominence within Afghanistan’s patriarchal culture. In 2021, Akbar received the Prince Claus Seed Award, recognizing her contributions to art and activism. Following the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan that year, she was evacuated by the French government and sought refuge in Paris, where she currently resides. Akbar’s work continues to focus on denouncing the oppression of women in Afghanistan and highlighting their strength through her art. Recently, her work has been featured in several exhibitions such as 7 montagnes et 7 océans at the Cité Internationale des Arts (Paris, 2022), Qatra Qatra / Drop by Drop. Perspectives from Afghanistan at the Gallerie delle Prigioni in Treviso (Italy, 2022), Invisible Captivity at the Imaginart Gallery (Barcelona, 2023), Dislocations at the Palais de Tokyo (Paris, 2024), L’esprit du geste at the Institut des Cultures d’Islam (Paris, 2024–2025), and S’habiller en artiste. L’artiste et le vêtement at the Louvre Lens (Lens, 2025). She was also named one of the BBC’s 100 most influential women in 2021. Image : Rada Akbar selfportrait |
