Lili Yas Tayefi | Top 40 Under 40 2024

She’s an innovative designer and multimedia artist who advocates for community involvement and promotes accessible arts education.

Photo by Jared Sych. Location: Centennial Place.

Age: 32

Occupation: Interdisciplinary artist and founder, LYT Studio

Multidisciplinary artist Lili Yas Tayefi finds inspiration in blending the old with the new to convey deeper truths. Her sculpture, Elemental Alchemy, currently exhibited at Calgary skyscraper Fifth Avenue Place, combines upcycled paper clay with 3D printing to reflect the “rebirth of life cycles.”

“Working with clay has taught me that I can spend a month building a sculpture, and it might not make it through the kiln,” she says.

Tayefi is the sole proprietor of LYT Studio, which uses robotics to create custom ceramics. Originally from Tehran, she received a BFA from the University of Calgary and holds a master’s in advanced architecture from the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia in Barcelona. In 2021, she co-ordinated the team behind Spain’s first 3D-printed building.

This forward-thinking approach permeates her education and her community work. Tayefi co-founded A Little Happiness Foundation, a non-profit that provides support to Sikligar families in India, while, locally, she facilitates accessible clay sculpting and 3D printing workshops at a sliding-scale rate. Tayefi is also an instructor at the Alberta University of the Arts and at the University of Calgary’s architecture school, where she teaches the next generation of artists to question the societal systems they belong to and explore the intersection of art and technology.

Whether through outreach, teaching or public sculptures like Elemental Alchemy, Tayefi’s “feel first” outlook aims to democratize our relationship with tradition and technology to foster creativity in everyone, regardless of background. “I get to bring people back to daydreaming, childlike innocence, and that inspiration to play and just create,” says Tayefi. “Anywhere in the world, human beings need some kind of outlet.”

Thank yous
“My family, for always acting as one unit.”

 

Top 40 Under 40 2024

Eluvier Acosta & Juan Castillo

Pierre Billon

Mackenzie Kamâmak Brown

Ian Cantelo

Marisa Clark

CONTRA

Mary Jansen Dunbar

Marcie Hawranik

Michelle Hoogveld

Kelle Hurd

Jennifer Jackson

Tracy Johnson

Nketti Johnston-Taylor

Eva Kiefer

Andrew Kim

Michael Kryshtalskyj

Dallin Laycock

Quan Ly

Allison Lynch

Nadia Maarouf

Joseph MacDonald

Meg Martin

Amy Matychuk

Lucas McCarthy

Jana McDonald

Robert Miller

Jamie Parker & Mike Wenzlawe

Nabeel Peermohamed

Chris Powell & Travis Powell

Alex Putici

Roman Rabinovich

Jason Ribeiro

Sarah Rieger

Andrew Sedor

Paul Shumlich

Apoorv Sinha

Anna Skrzypek

Lili Yas Tayefi

Josh Traptow

Tim Ward

Learn more about the people and organizations moving Calgary forward with Avenue's Innovation Newsletter.

This article appears in the November 2024 issue of Avenue Calgary.

Related posts

4 Events to Check Out at Innovation Week YYC 2024

Tsering Asha

Inside Avenue’s 2024 Top 40 Under 40 Party

Tsering Asha

Flying for Freedom: The Story of Calgarian Spitfire Pilot Flight Lieutenant William Thomas “Johnny” Johnstone

avenuecalgary

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Privacy Policy

Privacy & Cookies Policy
Avenue Calgary