“Tabaimo,” is a portmanteau of two things: her actual name, Ayako Tabata, and “imouto,” the Japanese word for little sister (though she is the middle of three sisters). Born in 1975 in Hyogo, Japan, she grew up in Osaka and practiced making art at home. As a young adult she began several career baths, ultimately graduating from Kyoto University of Art and Design in 1999.
Her video installations quickly found interested audiences, and instead of pursuing a job in the commercial arts, she continued to exhibit her large-scale animations, eventually having art in national museum and other important collections both in and outside of Japan.