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Akim Zavqibekov was born in the scenic and mountainous town of Khorog, in the Republic of Tajikistan. In his youth Akim had an admiration and passion for painting which led his parents to enroll him in art school. At the age of 15 he was accepted into the State Art College, where he was an exceptional student and graduated with honours. He began his career as a teacher in an art school in his hometown. From 2000 to 2010 he worked in health education as an illustrator and graphic designer for the Aga Khan Foundation in Tajikistan. He has participated in various regional and republican exhibitions, along with organizing personal exhibitions in Khorog and Dushanbe.
In 2013 he immigrated to Toronto, Canada with his family. Here he attended Herzing College where he completed a graphic design program in 2014, also with honours. Since this time Akim has participated in numerous community based exhibitions, including at the Ismaili Centre, Toronto. During the Diamond Jubilee his exceptional skills were noted and he became a finalist in the fine arts component of the Jubilee Arts program. In parallel to this he has also organized a number of master classes for aspiring painters within the Ismaili community.