Emel Tabaku (b. 1999) is a Toronto-based Albanian Canadian interdisciplinary artist. Her works are deeply engaged with aspects of her Muslim Albanian heritage tying in history and layers of place to unfold memory through abstraction, collaging and layering of paint. Her material practice cannot be separated from the impressive depth of her research as she documents the struggles in shaping Balkan Muslim identities in North America.
Emel completed her BFA Thesis, "On Finding Home: The Role of Reimagined Urban Spaces in One's Search for Identity and Belonging” at OCAD University, majoring in Drawing and Painting with a minor in Art History.
Outside of academia, Emel Tabaku is the Founder and Executive Director of RCAD Initiative: Redefining Communities through Art + Design - a non-profit organization with the mission to amplify the voices of underrepresented youth through storytelling mentorship, entrepreneurial skills training and strategic programming. She is passionate about building welcoming and resilient communities that are effectively addressing social issues at a grassroots level.
Moreover, Emel completed her Artist-in-Residence with Youth Climate Lab, as part of the FUTURES/forward mentorship program with ICASC/Judith Marcuse Projects where she drafted and designed the #DigitalArt4Climate Environmental Advocacy Toolkit. She also serves as Youth Council Member at the Canadian Council of Youth Prosperity supporting the infrastructure of the youth workforce development ecosystem.
Emel is a Master of Public Policy Candidate at the University of Toronto, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy where she will continue bridging the arts, culture and public policy to design equitable futures.
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