I recently attended Karim Rashid’s ‘Analog Versus Digital’, a talk given by the industrial designer in connection with his retrospective show ‘Cultural Shaping’ at the Ottawa Art Gallery. A captivating speaker, he spoke for 90 minutes, without notes. Images of his work were projected continually on the huge screen behind him, as he walked and talked. 90 minutes, no repeated images. Based in New York, he is currently involved in projects in 42 countries. It boggles the mind. Karim was compelling, informative, expansive, inspiring. And funny. I admire the simplicity and elegance of his work, the organic forms, and the sense of fun. Below are some of the furniture designs that stood out for me. I highly recommend this wide ranging exhibition, which runs until February 10, 2019.
"The role of a designer today is to make the world a better place. By replacing the clutter of poorly designed objects with beautiful, high performing ones that are hopefully sustainable, ergonomic, and sensible yet seductive, we reduce the stress in our environments." — Karim Rashid
