Bio : Kareem Rizk

BIOGRAPHY

Born in Melbourne, Australia in 1982, Kareem Rizk is a collage artist, illustrator and designer, currently living and working in Copenhagen, Denmark. Rizk graduated from Monash University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication. During this education Rizk developed an appreciation for collage and explored a diverse array of mixed media techniques and mediums.

After graduating, Rizk’s creative interests began to turn to fine art and illustration, particularly mixed media collage. While working as a Graphic Designer at Melbourne’s #1 selling newspaper, The Herald Sun, his interest in collage continued to develop and by 2006 it became a focus of his endeavours.

Since his shift of focus to fine art and illustration in 2006 and his pursuit of developing his style, Rizk has earned international recognition and continuous success working with numerous galleries, fine art publishers and creative companies all around the world.

Working mediums include collage, acrylic, oil pastel, pencil, solvent transfers and acrylic transfers. The work is highly textured and often multi-layered with a nostalgic and weathered quality. Rizk’s works can often be vibrant with colour, while others display a very refined or minimal palette.

Working methods also extend to digital collage with a very gritty and realistic display of texture and layering. The digital work began as an experiment in blurring the line between handmade collage and digital collage.

Other work includes freelance illustration, graphic design and fine art commissions for various clients including art buyers and collectors, editorial publications, galleries, universities, the boutique fashion industry and the music and entertainment industry.

Exhibitions include solo shows and group shows in Melbourne, Sydney, Byron Bay, Brisbane,
Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Washington DC, Miami (Art Basel), London, Berlin, Copenhagen (Danmarks NationalBank), Stockholm, West Cork (Ireland), Krems (Austria), Zurich, Barcelona, Madrid and Milan. Rizk's work has been published in numerous art magazines and books and his work is held in private collections worldwide.

EDUCATION

2004 | Monash University - Bachelor of Design: Visual Communication - Caulfield, Victoria
2001 | Brighton Bay: Art, Design & Photography Program - Elwood, Victoria
2000 | Mornington Secondary College (VCE) - Mornington, Victoria

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2012 | 'New Work' - National Bank of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
2010 | 'Collagephile' - Phone Booth Gallery - California, USA
2009 | ‘Trapped in Paradise’ - Art Whino Gallery - Maryland, USA
2008 | ‘Pulp Fiction’ - Phone Booth Gallery - California, USA

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2012 | 'Alterations, Disturbances and Rips 2' - RTIST Gallery - Melbourne, Australia
2012 | 'Shoot' - Antonia Kelly Gallery - Brisbane, Australia

2011 | 'Alterations, Disturbances and Rips' - Ambush Gallery - Sydney, Australia
2011 | FanBoy vs ArtBoy 'Science Fiction' - ArtBoy Gallery - Melbourne, Australia
2011 | 'Clap Hands' - Phone Booth Gallery - California, USA
2011 | 'All That Remains' (Curated by Charles Wilkin) - Picture Farm - New York, USA
2011 | '75 Peters' Sir Peter Cook Portraits - Institute of Modern Art - Brisbane, Australia
2011 | 'Cutters Edges: Contemporary Collage' - Gestalten Space - Berlin, Germany
2011 | 'Cutters: Contemporary Collage' - West Cork Arts Centre - Cork, Ireland
2011 | 'I AM Artist/Designer' Group Show- Krems, Austria

2010 | 'August Group Show' - Guerrero Gallery - California, USA
2010 | 'Revolution of Art' - Retrospect Galleries - Byron Bay, Australia
2010 | 'Retroism' (Co-curated by Kareem Rizk) - Retrospect Galleries - Byron Bay
2010 | 'Off The Hook III' - Phone Booth Gallery - California, USA
2010 | 'G40: The Summit' - Art Whino Gallery - Virginia, USA
2010 | 'In Retrospect' - Retrospect Galleries - Byron Bay, Australia

2009 | 'Petits Travaux' - Retrospect Galleries - Byron Bay, Australia
2009 | 'Let's Play' - Maverik Showroom & The Art Group - London, UK
2009 | 'Once Upon' - Ambush Gallery - Sydney, Australia
2009 | ‘Cutters’ - Cinders Gallery - New York, USA
2009 | ‘Life Essentials’ - Art Whino Gallery - Washington DC, USA
2009 | ‘Cut & Paste’ - Galleri KG52 - Stockholm, Sweden
2009 | ‘Revolution of Art’ - Retrospect Galleries - Byron Bay, Australia
2009 | ‘Mail Me Art’ - Red Gate Gallery - London, UK
2009 | ‘Off The Hook II’ - Phone Booth Gallery - California, USA
2009 | ‘Delicate Nature’ - ROJO ArtSpace - Milan, Italy
2009 | ‘Subaquatica’ - ROJO ArtSpace - Madrid, Spain
2009 | ‘Numero Atomico’ - ROJO ArtSpace - Barcelona, Spain
2009 | ‘Adidas 60th Anniversary Show’ - Adidas Store - Virginia, USA
2009 | ‘2nd Birthday’ - Gallery 696 - Melbourne, Australia

2008 | Illustrative 08 - Zurich, Switzerland
2008 | ‘Inked Souls’ - Art Whino Gallery - Maryland, USA
2008 | ‘What We Are’ - The Shoplift Gallery - London, UK
2008 | ‘Grand Opening’ - The Artery - Sydney, Australia

ART FAIRS

2012 | Affordable Art Fair - Smithson Gallery - Battersea, London

2010 | The Finders Keepers: Art Markets - CarriageWorks - Sydney, Australia
2010 | Art Melbourne - Carlton Exhibition Building - Melbourne, Australia

2009 | Art Basel Miami - Art Whino Gallery - Florida, USA
2009 | Art Sydney - Royal Hall of Industries - Sydney, Australia

PUBLIC DISPLAY

Exhibited work also includes large format displays in bars and clubs
in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

CURATED EXHIBITIONS
2010 | 'Retroism' (Co-curated by Kareem Rizk) - Retrospect Galleries - Byron Bay, Australia

BIBLIOGRAPHY

2011 | Gestalten - Cutting Edges: Contemporary Collage

2007 | ROJO Magazine
2007 | Semi-Permanent Book
2007 | Don’t Panic Magazine

2006 | Computer Arts Projects

2004 | Desktop Magazine

Rizk was also a selected artist to be featured in "Masters: Collage" - a book written and compiled by American collage artist Randel Plowman. Published by Lark Books, it features the work of over 40 international contemporary collage artists.

Unfortunately, Rizk does not appear in the book as he was traveling throughout Canada, the United States and Mexico at the time that the book was being compiled and could not participate.

Masters: Collage - Major Works by Leading Artists
Available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon

From the Publisher:
Meet the Masters of Collage!

Versatility, innovation, inspiration—that’s what The Masters series offers artists and crafters, and this superb new collection offers a stunning look at contemporary collage work from approximately 40 leading artists. It features a breathtaking mix of techniques from traditional cut-and-paste to digital to collage with paint or encaustic, and styles ranging from wildly playful and colorful to evocative, almost monochrome images.

Each highlighted master takes center stage in an informative eight-page feature that includes nearly a dozen gorgeous, high-quality photos plus a short essay by curator Randel Plowman placing the impressive work and its creator in context.

The innovative featured artists include:

Cecil Touchon - Jonathan Talbot - Lynne Perrella - Lynn Whipple - James Michael Starr and others.

ONLINE PRESS, FEATURES & MENTIONS

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Juxtapoz
Hi Fructose
Artist A Day
It's Nice That
Not Paper
Ignant
Apartment Therapy
Morning Edit
Kevin Broome
Design Milk
Booooooom
Headron Collider
Complex
Jenn Ski Studio
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Fecal Face
Grassroots Modern
Escape into Life
The Colour
Illustration Friday
Design is Kinky
Lost at E Minor
Abduzeedo
Collage Art
Collage Clearinghouse
Banksy Forum – Urban Art Association
Illustration 1
Design for Mankind
Decor8
Design Sponge
Feed Your Wall
Lamono
Monoscope
Forth Thread
Design Federation
Denzo Mag
Ohdeedoh
The World’s Best Ever
Typestack
SF Girl by Bay
SEN Baltimore
The DCist
Prep Jerks
Roadside Scholar
Happy Red Fish
The Art Planet