Meet the Artist Tackling Societal Issues With Humour (and Dinosaurs)

by Sophie She

Meet the Artist Tackling Societal Issues With Humour (and Dinosaurs)

14 Sept 2024

Rita Adib is a multidisciplinary artist and architect who creatively approaches social activism. Born and raised in Damascus, Syria, Adib’s unique perspective is deeply influenced by her background and the places she has lived and worked. She completed her Bachelor of Architecture at Damascus University before relocating to Montreal, Canada, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture from Concordia University. Today, Adib splits her time between Berlin and Beirut, channelling her experiences into a body of work that speaks powerfully to issues of identity, gender, and social justice.

Artistic practice: Interactive architecture

Adib’s multidisciplinary approach spans across sculpture, painting, drawing, site-specific installations, and performative actions. Her work often addresses topical social issues of today, such as loneliness, displacement, and gender-based discrimination. As a feminist Arab woman, she brings a unique lens to her practice, critically examining the human body in relation to borders and societal boundaries.

The intersection of architecture and sculpture is particularly central to her practice. With a strong foundation in both disciplines, Adib often creates works that engage with public spaces. Just recently, she presented a public interactive sculpture titled "Echoes", made for the Tēlniecības kvadriennāle art festival in Riga.

She views public art as an essential platform for reaching a broad audience, fostering engagement, and making art accessible to all. Her public installations frequently feature interactive elements, inviting participation and dialogue. These works transform spaces into sites of engagement, offering audiences an opportunity to reflect on the political and social implications of their surroundings.

Her public artworks have been exhibited in various international locations, including Beirut, Berlin, and Montreal, as well as in cities across the UK, such as Manchester, Portsmouth, and Leicester. In each of these spaces, her installations act as open invitations for the public to engage with the work and its underlying themes of justice, identity, and resistance.

Instagram: @squadrennialriga

"Her Dinosaurs Diary": Satirical comics

One of Adib's most notable projects is Her Dinosaurs Diary, an online feminist comic platform that confronts misogyny through satire. The series humorously and powerfully explores the everyday struggles of women in patriarchal societies. Adib uses dinosaurs as a metaphor for toxic patriarchal behaviours — whenever a character acts in an oppressive way, they transform into a dinosaur. This playful yet poignant device illustrates how primal and absurd these behaviours remain in the modern world.

Comics are told both in Arabic and English, allowing her content to reach greater audiences. Her Dinosaurs Diary becomes a collaborative space where women share their personal stories.

Radical Care Lab and collaborative art

In addition to her individual practice, Adib is the co-founder of Radical Care Lab, a process-based public art collective. The collective emphasises care, community, and collaboration as essential elements in the art-making process, with a focus on public spaces. Through this initiative, Adib and her collaborators create art that encourages healing, activism, and engagement with local communities.

Rita Adib stands at the intersection of art, architecture, and activism, using her multidisciplinary practice to challenge societal norms and foster conversations about identity and resistance. Her smart use of interactivity and public spaces offers powerful experiences to her spectators, building whole communities and empowering others to engage in the ongoing battles for justice and equality through smiles and humour.

by Sophie She