Karim ElHayawan
Egypt
The liberation, expressiveness and meaning art beholds was constantly of immense inspiration to me. – Photography was always my passion since university. – Naturally becoming my vehicle and voice into what art bestows.
My inspiration sources are constantly shaped and reshaped b...
Karim El Hayawan is a Cairo-based visual artist and interior architect. After founding Design Point Studio in Cairo in 2002, Karim began to develop his photography under the mentorship of Alaa Abdel Naby of Reuters.
El Hayawan is continuously inspired by his hometown Cairo, relentlessly seeking visual vocabulary that defines the complexities of the ever-expanding urban metropolis.
Ultimately, photography serves as his narrative tool to reveal commonalities in collective experiences of life, with key theme of his work being the concept of universal metaphors.
His work has been exhibited at the “Contemporary Arab Photography Biennale” at the Institut Du Monde Arabe in Paris, The Grid Cape Town Biennale in South Africa, the Biennale in Cairo titled “Something Else”, Abu Dhabi Art at Hafez Gallery, Al-Ahram’s Salon for Fine Arts and Darb1718 in Cairo, in addition to the Egyptian pavilion at Dak’art Biennale. His work has been featured in numerous publications throughout the region.
El Hayawan is the founder of Cairo Saturday Walks, an initiative that invites participants to explore different neighborhoods in Egypt through the activity of street photography, with proceeds of an annual group show, going back to one of the frequently visited areas.
Artist Statement
The liberation, expressiveness and meaning art beholds was constantly of immense inspiration to me. – Photography was always my passion since university. – Naturally becoming my vehicle and voice into what art bestows.
My inspiration sources are constantly shaped and reshaped by my surroundings, sociopolitical influences and various forms of art. Cairo remains my everlasting muse. With both its intense layers of chaos and poetic minute microcosms.
