Rifa Nanziba

Artist Statement

I am a Bangladeshi artist whose practice centers on folk traditions, with a particular focus on rickshaw painting as a form of living visual culture. Growing up in Bangladesh, I was surrounded by the vivid colors, ornamental patterns, and narrative imagery that transform rickshaws into moving canvases. These hand-painted vehicles, created by local street artists, reflect collective aspirations, humor, and everyday life. My early fascination led me to study traditional rickshaw motifs and apprentice under a senior painter, gaining direct, material knowledge of the craft and its social context.

My work extends this tradition into contemporary platforms, including fashion, wearable art, and interior design. By translating rickshaw aesthetics onto textiles, garments, and designed environments, I explore how folk art can move beyond its original function while retaining its cultural resonance. Through this process, I investigate how traditional visual languages can adapt to new materials, audiences, and spaces.

Rickshaw culture is historically tied to male labor, both in driving and in painting, yet its imagery circulates widely in public life. By bringing rickshaw painting onto women’s clothing and other alternative surfaces, I aim to reframe the medium and open it to broader participation and interpretation. This shift challenges assumptions about who produces, carries, and represents folk imagery, while offering new ways of engaging with a deeply rooted cultural form.