About Karim Rashid

Design is about the betterment of our lives poetically, aesthetically, experientially and emotionally. - Karim Rashid

Born in Cairo, Egypt (1960), Karim Rashid was raised in England until relocating to Canada where he earned a Bachelor of Industrial Design from Carleton University in Ottawa (1982). Upon graduating, Rashid began studying in Naples, Italy, where he learned his craft under renowned designers Gartana Pesce and Ettore Sottsass. He later worked for Rodolfo Bonetto in Milan. In 1991, he started teaching at the Pratt Institute before opening his own studio in 1993. At the start of his career, Rashid primarily designed tableware for company named Nambe, products ranged from clocks and vases to candlesticks. This molded Rashid's style sensual minimalism. He has also coined the term Blobular, which describes his love for organic forms. Rashid is also known for his early adoption of computer-aided designs and his use of plasticity.

Today, Karim has received over 300 awards, including countless Red Dot Awards, Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Awards, IDSA Industrial Design Excellence and more. Karim also holds an honorary doctorate from both the Corcoran College of Art & Design and the Ontario College of Art & Design. Karim has collaborated with clients to create democratic design for Method and Dirt Devil, furniture for Artemide, brand identity for Citibank and Hyundai, luxury goods for Veuve Clicquot and Swarovski.

Karim frequently lectures at universities and conferences around the globe speaking about the importance of design and is determined to reshape the interiors we live in. Karim Rashid lives in New York City.