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 and video work serve 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 Institut Du Monde Arabe and Cite Internationale Des Art in Paris, Abu Dhabi Art, Dak’Art Biennale, Ithra World Cultural Center Saudi Arabia, Art D’Egypte and Darb1718 as well as featured on CNN and numerous regional and international publications.
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.
