Karim Rashid: Reshaping Culture One Design At A Time

A visionary in the design world, Karim Rashid has made his mark across the globe and returns to Canada with his exhibition at the Ottawa Art Gallery

- Victoria Scott

Inspiring. Prolific. Revolutionary. These are but a few words that describe the force that is Karim Rashid.

With more than 4,000 projects in production ranging from tableware to furniture and buildings, Rashid’s style is recognizable, employing striking shapes and colours while ensuring a perfect balance between form and function. As Rashid says, “Good design is when function and form or esthetics are inseparable.” The designer has worked in over 45 countries and has earned hundreds of awards and distinctions over the years.

This fall and winter, his work is being displayed at the Ottawa Art Gallery in a retrospective exhibition, Karim Rashid: Cultural Shaping (October 2018 to February 2019). Although Rashid has previously had retrospectives in various places around the globe, including Seoul, São Paulo, Munich and Moscow, this will be the first large-scale presentation of his work in Canada, the country he called home during his youth.