Kareem Rizk

Kareem Rizk is an Australian self-taught collage and mixed media artist, who uses an eclectic combination of materials to create evocative, highly-textured and multi-layered artworks. From collections of found imagery and remnants of post-war advertising, Kareem aims to create permanent reflections of transitory feelings and visions gleaned through a process of sifting and sorting for his abstract paper collages. Kareem's refined compositions come together through an equal balance of technical design skills and intuitively feeling which elements work together in harmony. Kareem's process is thorough as he meditatively arranges abstract elements and images to construct artworks that display a distinct bridge between fine art and design.

Kareem Rizk’s Education and Background

Born in Ferntree Gully, Victoria in 1982. Kareem graduated from Monash University in 2004 with a BA in Visual Communication. During his time studying, Kareem developed a love for collage. Shortly after graduating his creative interests also turned to illustration. Kareem started his career as a Graphic Designer but eventually focused his attention on developing a distinct minimalist style as a fine artist.

Creative Process and Collaborations

Now based in Copenhagen, Kareem works with collage, oils, acrylics, pencil and gel mediums. Kareem utilises a broad range of collage materials including found paper, hand-painted and stained paper, old notebook covers, used envelopes and street posters. Kareem's collages are often unified with warm palettes and pastel hues and are refined in their compositions and intrinsic sense of balance. The harmonious and at times minimal aesthetic of Kareem's style has also led to editorial and industry collaborations with clients such as Wired, Graniph Tokyo, IKEA, Chevrolet and The Atlantic. Kareem exhibits his art internationally in galleries, fairs and exhibitions and was a Rise Art Prize finalist in 2018.