Nadim Karam
Biography
Born in Senegal in 1957, Nadim Karam is a multidisciplinary artist known for groundbreaking urban design and cutting-edge painting and sculpture. A prominent figure in the Lebanese art scene, he graduated from the American University of Beirut and received graduate and postgraduate degrees from the University of Tokyo, Japan.
Karam has exhibited in galleries, institutions and art fairs worldwide, contributing to such notable events as the Liverpool Biennial, the Venice Biennale, the Gwangju Biennale in South Korea and SCOPE Art Fair (Basel). Highly sought after by collectors, his work is housed in corporations and cultural foundations in the Arab world, Europe and Asia. A respected innovator, he has been commissioned to produce urban art across the globe, in such places as the UAE, the Czech Republic, Australia and Japan. The former Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Art and Design at Lebanon's Notre Dame University, his influence has also been felt on an academic level.
In 1996, he established Atelier Hapsitus, a studio that he defines as "the satellite grouping of young architects and designers around happenings and situations." Atelier Hapsitus has become a vehicle for Karam's unique oeuvre, boasting a number of works and projects that blend architecture, design and art and defy conventional modes of creativity and thought.
Recently, his architectural plan "The Cloud" made international headlines for its revolutionary ideas of how to reconfigure public space amidst Dubai's growing cityscape. Initially submitted to the International Design Forum in Dubai in 2007, the concept outlined a massive public entertainment complex containing floating gardens, a lake, restaurants, a palace and a museum suspended in the air by rain-like stilts and covered with artificial condensation. Lauded as "mind-blowing" by The New York Times, Karam's proposal commented on the need for communal space amidst a landscape characterized by private spaces, suggesting the endless socioeconomic possibilities created through advanced technology and avant-garde urban planning.
The whimsical character of "The Cloud" and its intended impact on everyday interactions and culture reflects the fundamental principles of Karam's art. With a distinctly international vision his paintings and sculptures draw heavily on his diverse background, transcending social, political and national borders and captivating the viewer with the childlike freedom and depth of his imagination.
Artist Exhibitions
Safwan Dahoul and Nadim Karam, at Ayyam Gallery, Beirut 9 Oct - 5 Dec, 2009View Exhibition
Levant Summer 4 Jul - 15 Aug, 2009
View Exhibition
Basel (SCOPE) 8 Jun - 14 , 2009
View Exhibition
Stories From the Levant, Tammam Azzam, Samia Halaby, Nadim Karam 22 Jan - 14 Feb, 2009
View Exhibition
Ayyam Editions
Nadim KaramView Edition
Selected Works
NKFE Nadim KARAM 'Father Elephant' 150 X 202 X 24 cm. Glass and Resin beads on Wood Sculpture 2009 LOCATION: BEIRUT
NKWCL Nadim KARAM 'Wild Cat' 150 X 210 X 25.5 cm. Stainless Steel, Super Shiny Finish Sculpture 2009 LOCATION: BEIRUT
NKOP Nadim KARAM 'Oriental Prince' H245 X W40 X D24.5 cm. Stainless Steel, Super Shiny Finish Sculpture 2009: BEIRUT
NKCUR Nadim KARAM 'Curiosity' H118 X W74 X D14 cm. Mixed Media on Wood Panel 2010 LOCATION: BEIRUT
NKLTP Nadim KARAM 'Little Prince' H225 X W80 X D26 cm. Stainless Steel, Super Shiny Finish Sculpture 2010 LOCATION: BEIRUT
NKMU Nadim KARAM 'MIU' H182 X W94 X D22 cm. Stainless Steel, Super Shiny Finish Sculpture 2010 LOCATION: BEIRUT
NKDW Nadim KARAM 'Desert Wind' H250 X W225 X D25 cm. Super Mirror Stainless Steel Sheets and Plexiglas cylinders 2009 Location: Dubai
NK13 Nadim KARAM 'House' 100 X 100 cm. Mixed Media on Canvas 2008: Dubai
NK10 Nadim KARAM 'The Thinker on A Raining Cloud' 205 X 75 cm. Mixed Media on Canvas 2008 Location: Dubai