Karim Rashid

Karim Rashid

Karim Rashid talks to the press at Innoprom 2012
Born 1960
Cairo, Egypt
Occupation Industrial Designer
Website
www.karimrashid.com

Karim Rashid is an industrial designer and interior architect.[1] His designs include luxury goods, furniture, lighting, surface design, brand identity and packaging.[2] Time magazine has described him as the "most famous industrial designer in all the Americas".[3]

Career

Rashid was born in Cairo, Egypt to an Egyptian father and English mother, and raised in Canada and is now a US Citizen.[4]

Rashid's designs include the Garbo waste can, the Oh Chair for Umbra, a concept store for Giorgio Armani, manhole covers for the sewers of New York, perfume bottles for Kenzo, bobble water bobble, watches and tableware for Alessi, lighting for Artemide and products for Veuve Clicquot.[4][5]

His work, all sensual curves and bright colours, is instantly recognizable and has been variously described (by Rashid himself) as "sensual minimalism" and "blobjects".[6]

Karim has recently been selected to design several real estate developments in New York City for HAP Investments, a New York City based International investment group. [7]

Karim’s work is featured in 20 permanent collections and he exhibits art in galleries world wide including the MoMA, Centre Pompidou, and SFMOMA. He holds honorary doctorates from the Ontario College of Art & Design, Pratt Institute and Corcoran College of Art & Design. Karim is a frequent guest lecturer at universities and conferences speaking about the importance of design in everyday life.[8]

In 2012, Danish designer and manufacturer BoConcept collaborated with Rashid to create the Ottawa Collection, which won the Red Dot Design Award.[1]

Awards and honors

Rashid has won the George Nelson Award in 1999, the Canadian Designer of the Year award in 2001,[3] and the Red Dot Design Award in 2012.[1]

Personal life

Karim was formerly married to digital designer Megan Lang, but the couple divorced. Rashid married Ivana Rashid (née Puric) in 2008. Together they have one child, Kiva Rashid.[9]

Rashid is brother to famed architect, Hani Rashid, of Asymptote.[10]

Karim is known for wearing all white or all pink clothing.[11]

Publications

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Susan Thurston (April 17, 2013). BoConcept furniture, Smart car join hands. Tampa Bay Times. Accessed October 2013.
  2. ↑ Velocci, Cristina. "Office tour: Karim Rashid". http://www.timeout.com''.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Belinda Luscombe (July 02, 2001). Design: The Poet Of Plastic; Karim Rashid wants to change the world one ordinary object at a time. Time Magazine. Accessed October 2013. (subscription required) for full article.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Caroline Ryder ([n.d.]). Karim Rashid. Swindle. Archived March 7, 2009.
  5. ↑ KenzoAmour Product Page at kenzousa.com
  6. ↑ Fairs, Marcus. "I want to change the world". http://www.theguardian.com/''.
  7. ↑ Bernstein, Fred A. "Karim Rashid Brings Kool-Aid Colors and Curves to Manhattan Condo Buildings". http://archrecord.construction.com/''. McGraw Hill Financial.
  8. ↑ Stone, Andrew. "10 Questions with...Karim Rashid". Interiordesign.net. Sandow.
  9. ↑ cityfile. "Karim Rashid". gawker.com.
  10. ↑ "Designboom". http://www.designboom.com/''.
  11. ↑ Goddard, Joanna. "One Is the Loveliest Color". http://nymag.com/''. New York Media LLC.

Further reading