An architect turned artist, Rida bridges the worlds of design and fine art, applying her deep understanding of design principles to her artistic practice. Her work is profoundly influenced by her immediate surroundings and the sociopolitical context she navigates. Responding to subtle shifts in her environment, her art reflects a worldview shaped by life in a post-colonial, third-world country while addressing the fragility and absurdity of political systems in a universally resonant manner.
Her works often originate from personal and domestic experiences, which are evident in both their form and material. Fascinated by light, transparency, and translucency, she uses these elements to explore themes of censorship, distortion, and interruption. The distorted transmission of an image becomes a metaphor for the porous boundaries between public and private spheres. Her choice of materials—whether acrylic or salt—reflects a preference for visual impermanence and delicacy, challenging the notions of heaviness and its association with permanence and power.
Seeking to counteract visual weight, she employs light and transparency to explore the tension between perceptibility and erasure, as well as the liminal space between permanence and ephemerality. Through the interplay of light and its obstructions, Rida crafts a nuanced dialogue about visibility, fragility, and resistance.
Education 2023-2025 Masters in Fine Arts - Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore USA
2013-2018 Bachelor of Architecture - National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad Pakistan
2015-2016 Mevlana Exchange Student - Middle Eastern Technical University, Ankara Turkey
Professional Experience 2023-Pres Graduate Teaching Intern - Maryland Institute College of Art
2022-2023 Designer - Studio Lel, Islamabad Pakistan
2021-2023 Self-Employed - Ridiculous Things, Rawalpindi Pakistan
2018-2020 Junior Architect - MASSA International Contracting LLC, Rawalpindi Pakistan
Summer ‘17 Intern - Naeem Pasha Associates, Islamabad Pakistan
Summer ‘16 Intern - DB Studios, Islamabad
Awards and Certification 2023-2025 Fulbright Scholarship - USEFP
2018 Architecture Certification - Reg no. A-07013 - PCATP