Lebanese artist and architect Nadim Karam’s multi-disciplinary approach
incorporates painting, drawing, sculpture and writing. Fusing various
cultural influences, Karam’s works transcend social, political and
national borders, forming a unique pictorial language replete with
recurring symbols and with original characters and narratives.
They form an alphabet of sorts, in what is an ongoing, sometimes
absurdist, exploration of the creative power of dreams. Renowned for his public art and work in urban regeneration, Karam was recently lauded for his architectural plan, The Cloud,
which made international headlines for its revolutionary ideas on how
to reconfigure public space amidst Dubai’s growing cityscape.
Viewing 7 works by Nadim Karam
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Biography 
Biography
Lebanese artist and architect Nadim Karam’s multi-disciplinary approach incorporates painting, drawing, sculpture and writing. Fusing various cultural influences, Karam’s works transcend social, political and national borders, forming a unique pictorial language, replete with recurring symbols, and with its own original characters and narratives. They form an alphabet of sorts, in what is an on-going, sometimes absurdist, exploration of the creative power of dreams.
Renowned for his public art and work in urban regeneration, Karam was recently lauded for his architectural plan, The Cloud, which made international headlines for its revolutionary ideas on how to reconfigure public space amidst Dubai’s growing cityscape. Karam’s projects and installations are interventions that seek to animate cities as diverse as Melbourne, Prague, Dubai, Beirut, London and Nara, Japan. These interventions often take the form of large-scale steel sculptures, described as ‘urban toys’ by the artist. For Karam, it is not only we, as humans, who need to dream, but our cities too – his urban toys are acts of whimsy and a rebellion against the soulless nature of so many modern spaces, bringing to life the environments around him. Says Karam: “Each urban toy has a message. An open message ready to be inhabited by stories which become mingled with history.”
Born in 1957 in Senegal, Nadim Karam now lives and works in Beirut. In 1996, he established Atelier Hapsitus, a satellite grouping of young Lebanese architects and designers, that seeks to create original urban vocabulary through large-scale art installation and architectural works for various cities worldwide. Karam’s work has appeared in numerous solo and group exhibitions worldwide including Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris (2013), as well as biennales such as Venice, Liverpool, and Gwangju. Past publications include The Cloud, The Desert and The Arabian Breeze (2007); Urban Toys, (2006) and Voyage (2000). In 2013, Nadim's monograph Strecthing Thoughts was published by Booth-Clibborn Editions.
Awards
10th FEA Distinguished Alumnus Award
ASI Steel Award 2008
Urban Design Award 2006
Melbourne Prize 2007
Renowned for his public art and work in urban regeneration, Karam was recently lauded for his architectural plan, The Cloud, which made international headlines for its revolutionary ideas on how to reconfigure public space amidst Dubai’s growing cityscape. Karam’s projects and installations are interventions that seek to animate cities as diverse as Melbourne, Prague, Dubai, Beirut, London and Nara, Japan. These interventions often take the form of large-scale steel sculptures, described as ‘urban toys’ by the artist. For Karam, it is not only we, as humans, who need to dream, but our cities too – his urban toys are acts of whimsy and a rebellion against the soulless nature of so many modern spaces, bringing to life the environments around him. Says Karam: “Each urban toy has a message. An open message ready to be inhabited by stories which become mingled with history.”
Born in 1957 in Senegal, Nadim Karam now lives and works in Beirut. In 1996, he established Atelier Hapsitus, a satellite grouping of young Lebanese architects and designers, that seeks to create original urban vocabulary through large-scale art installation and architectural works for various cities worldwide. Karam’s work has appeared in numerous solo and group exhibitions worldwide including Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris (2013), as well as biennales such as Venice, Liverpool, and Gwangju. Past publications include The Cloud, The Desert and The Arabian Breeze (2007); Urban Toys, (2006) and Voyage (2000). In 2013, Nadim's monograph Strecthing Thoughts was published by Booth-Clibborn Editions.
Awards
10th FEA Distinguished Alumnus Award
ASI Steel Award 2008
Urban Design Award 2006
Melbourne Prize 2007
Exhibitions
Exhibitions
2017
“Urban Stories”-Fine Art Society, London, UK
2016
“Shhhhhhh…shout!”- Art Dubai, Dubai, UAE
“Stretching Thoughts”- Ayyam Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon
2013
“99 Objects possible to find on a Cloud”, Ayyam Gallery Dubai (AlQuoz)
“Urban Zoo”, Ayyam Gallery Beirut
“Shooting the Cloud”, Ayyam Gallery London
Menasart, Beirut International Exhibition, BIEL
2011
Menasart, Beirut International Exhibition, BIEL
2010
The Wild Cat and other sculptures, DIFC Gate, Dubai
2008
The Fisherman fishing from a Cloud, installation, Creek Art Fair, Bastakiya, Dubai
Clouds & Chairs, Sultan Gallery, Kuwait
2002
101 archaic procession elements, rooftop installation in Leeds, UK
2001
London & Dublin project, exhibition, Unesco, Beirut
Solfeggio 101, exhibition, Portside Gallery, Yokohama, Japan
“Urban Stories”-Fine Art Society, London, UK
2016
“Shhhhhhh…shout!”- Art Dubai, Dubai, UAE
“Stretching Thoughts”- Ayyam Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon
2013
“99 Objects possible to find on a Cloud”, Ayyam Gallery Dubai (AlQuoz)
“Urban Zoo”, Ayyam Gallery Beirut
“Shooting the Cloud”, Ayyam Gallery London
Menasart, Beirut International Exhibition, BIEL
2011
Menasart, Beirut International Exhibition, BIEL
2010
The Wild Cat and other sculptures, DIFC Gate, Dubai
2008
The Fisherman fishing from a Cloud, installation, Creek Art Fair, Bastakiya, Dubai
Clouds & Chairs, Sultan Gallery, Kuwait
2002
101 archaic procession elements, rooftop installation in Leeds, UK
2001
London & Dublin project, exhibition, Unesco, Beirut
Solfeggio 101, exhibition, Portside Gallery, Yokohama, Japan
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