Rashid Karim, a well-known industrial designer: biography, creativity

Karim Rashid is a designer, a visionary, a pragmatist and a professor at the Philadelphia University of Arts. He launched about 3000 developments in the production. These include design projects for lighting fixtures, fittings, packaging, fashion accessories, dishes, furniture. Also, Karim was engaged in installations, interiors and other architectural projects. But most of all he is known to people as an industrial designer. In this article we will briefly describe this creative personality.

Biography

Rashid Karim was born in Cairo (Egypt) in 1960. The boy was brought up in two countries - Canada and England. Besides him, there were two other children in the family. Karim's artistic taste was developed by his father, who worked as a stage designer. He was very fond of taking his son to sketches. When Rashid grew up, he went to Canada to enter the University of Carlton. In 1982 he received a bachelor's degree. His education Karim continued in Naples, and then in Milan, where he passed an internship in the studio Rudolfo Bonetto.

After that, he got a job at CAS Industrial Designers, where he worked for seven years, gaining significant experience in this field. Since that time, Rashid began to closely cooperate with such firms as Sony, Citibank, Issey Miyake, etc. Step by step Karim was a close circle of the most authoritative, fashionable and successful representatives of his profession. In 1993, Rashid opened his own studio in New York, the main activity of which was the development of interior design. But he was also interested in other types of orders. For example, I created a package design.

Creation

Today, Karim makes out restaurants in Tokyo and New York, hotels in Los Angeles, Athens and London, and also develops interiors of exhibitions, boutiques and studios of top-tier television channels. Each action Rashid shows interest not only in individual subjects, but also in the general environment. He advises not to limit himself to narrow specialization and expand his creative arsenal. If Karim did not adhere to this principle, then the statuette "Golden Gramophone" (its new design) would have been developed by someone else.

Rashid focuses not on style, but on convenience. In the first place for him is not the luxury of material, but the luxury of freedom. This is the key to understanding the essence of the worldview and creativity of Rashid. Soft and simple outlines, glossy smooth surfaces, carelessness of bright and pure colors ... Many years ago, Karim excluded from his wardrobe a black color. He also practically does not use it, developing the design of packaging or accessories. Now Rashid's favorites are pink and white.

Karim prefers to use not traditional natural materials, but modern ones - on a synthetic basis. To make an item cheap, convenient and practical, you need to apply the latest technology. The designer is sure that only giving up nostalgia will help change the world for the better.

Awards

Karim Rashid, whose works are exhibited in many museums around the world, has in the asset more than three hundred awards and prizes. Among them: "Industrial Design Excel Excel" (1998), "Daimler Chrysler Design Ewod" (1999), "George Nelson Ewod" (1999), "Silver Eydia Ewod" (1999), award for the best design of the restaurant from Esquire Magazine "(2003) and many others.

Teaching

Karim lectures, conducts presentations and master classes around the world. Rashid likes to sit in the jury of various design competitions. He also taught industrial design for 10 years, teaching this craft at the Ontario College of Art, Rhode Island School and Pratt Institute. College of Design and Arts Concoran even appropriated the title of the doctor to the hero of this article.

Sensual minimalism

This is the name of the direction that was introduced into the architecture of Rashid Karim. In this case, the interior becomes a kind of sphere on the verge of a virtual world that absorbs a person, and a reality filled with phenomena and objects that have long-studied physical properties. Karim's interiors are not science fiction, he tries to fully adapt them to the needs of modern man. According to Rashid, people are now increasingly moving into virtual space, and therefore the physical world carries a different meaning. The surrounding objects are transformed into technological objects. It is impossible to deny the style of high-tech, because it is a vivid expression of the modern way of life.

Futurism

Many of Karim's design developments are distinguished by the presence of this artistic direction. He tries to connect the real world with the virtual, nature with high-tech, social with the physical. As a result, from the creative hand of Rashid came out: a touchscreen (used in hotel rooms for typing any text), plastic chess (never fall, as inserted in the holes), a rubber TV remote (as if cast from pure gold), A computerized pavilion (each step of a person walking along it is accompanied by certain musical chords, and any mortal can feel himself a composer).

Refusal of habituality

Karim is sure that any of the people who have lived for some time in the interior, invented by him, will never return to the traditional situation. After all, his "interior design" will forever change. He will begin to think that multifunctional furniture, a special ceiling height or a correctly falling light are vital things. On the other hand, Rashid understands perfectly well that the final transition to the habitat he has invented will take place in the distant future.

Constant motion

Usually Karim is never satisfied with what he has done. He needs constant changes and movement! Almost every week the designer moves furniture in his own house, removes and adds items. All the things he develops, Rashid tries first on himself. One of his commandments reads: "Addition by subtraction." Its meaning is as follows: if a new object has appeared in the house, then the analogous one should disappear. For example, when you have purchased new socks, you need to get rid of the old ones. Thus, in the house there will always be the same number of objects and there will not be anything extra accumulated. This is the beauty of Balance.

Music

Karim often compares this art form with design. By the way, he has a special relationship to music - Rashid worked as an amateur DJ for more than ten years. And the designer likes not one, but several different genres. All of its three iPods (each 30 gigabytes) are crammed full of tracks. Creation of each design project Karim compares with writing a song. To get a hit, you have to work hard.

Poplux

Design, like music, has its own directions. Rashid has his own - popluxe. The hero of this article believes that beautiful, quality things should be available not only to the elite of society, but also to ordinary citizens. This concept of democratization goes through all of his work and is reflected even in the name of the subjects. For example, high heel shoes are High, the doorstep rug is Step. And the names of the trash can and umbrella stands do not even need translation - Korzina and Zontik.

Writer

Rashid Karim is the author of several books on design. Also on this subject he wrote the commandments (some of them are presented below) and the manifesto. According to the latter, modern design is the result of the interaction of several factors: political and economic situation, social behavior, personal experience (internal and external). But the most important thing is a precise understanding of the trends of modern culture.

The commandments of Rashid

Many of them can be used in their daily lives:

• In the past, there is no point.
• All that we have is now and here.
• Not a brand creates products, but vice versa.
• The most important life component is experience. The essence of existence lies in human communication and the exchange of ideas.
• Constantly improve!
• Before making the final decision, after carefully considering and calculating everything, do it again.
• The world will not change itself, you must make an effort.
• Love conquers everything.
• Thoughts are not tense, but relaxed.
• Do not doubt: your life - this is work.
• There are three types of people: some spit on culture, the latter buy it, and others produce it. Always stick with the last two.
• You always have to pay your bills. Learn from others.
• Think first of all about work, not about fame.
• The three main components of success are perseverance, consistency and perseverance.
• Do not ever stop there.
• Even if you can not apply new technologies in your life, always treat them with respect.
• Instead of dreaming about something, just take it and put it into practice.
• Thoughts are not deep, but wide.
• Add addition by subtraction.
• Sensual minimalism is not as boring as usual.
• Understand, the very concept of "pleasure" and its meaning do not refer to the sphere of physiology, but rather to the field of psychology.
• Avoid both written and oral speech of the following words: "masses", "ugly", "boredom", "class", "taste".
• Set yourself several tasks and do six things at the same time. This will not get bogged down in everyday life.
• Acquire not objects, but experience.
• In the fight against depression, it is better not to resort to shopping or binge eating. Know, this is the lot of housewives.
• Try to eat as few carbohydrates as possible. Do not go to pastry shops and pizzerias.
• Remember: Antichrist is your laziness.
• Do not carry cash with you. Always pay with a credit card.
• Keep in the wardrobe thirty pairs of socks and as many sets of underwear. With so many, there will never be problems with selection. Wash the laundry once a month.
• Work for fun, not reward. Or do not work at all.
• If you do not like the job, quit.
• Avoid accumulation. Having bought a new thing, immediately get rid of the old one.
• Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Work on making the latter the first.
• Give yourself a report that not every project can be promising.
• If you and your comrade have fundamental divergences in views, then do not count on fruitful cooperation.
• Reveal the reality of "phenomenological" actions and surprises.
• Know, fate is on your side!

Conclusion

Rashid Karim seldom rejects orders, for he is interested in absolutely everyone. The hero of this article believes that any subject is worthy of attention. And it does not matter what it is - the design of furniture or a huge house. And the question: "What is your most favorite creation?" He always replies: "Woman!"