Karim+Elias

‘The Desert Relics’ 2024 Our latest piece celebrates the craft of Mleiha’s artefacts through a grand land art installation, made of and from desert sand. Renowned for its archaeological significance within the Arab region, Mleiha fosters a broad collection of the region’s artefactual heritage. ‘The Desert Relics’ draw inspiration from a selection of Mleiha’s ancient relics, visually expressing the “unearthing of an artefact” through a variety of vessel-like geometries. Twelve modular totems rise to monumental heights against the mountain backdrop — in the symbolic form of stacked vessel vases, a grand bejeweled necklace, or a set of ancient stones. Each piece is unique in color and form, and like all ancient crafts, is fully handmade of and from the earth. The permanent installation was unveiled at @tanweerfestival, and designed as a contribution to Bodour Al Qasimi inspiring vision to timelessly celebrate Mleiha’s cultural heritage and rich desertscapes. Mleiha Archaeological Site, Sharjah, UAE November 2024

Iota ll Our classic installation handcrafter in 'Cactus Green' and 'Desert Biege' hues flanks the main entrance to the recently opened InterContinental Residences, Business Bay, Dubai. Originally launched with the support of House of Today , the artwork is one of the hotel's many art installations, beautifully curated by artse

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Karim+Elias’ latest work contextually celebrates the city of Diriyah’s architectural craft of building with earth. Renowned as ‘the city of earth’, Diriyah has become one of Saudi Arabia’s most celebrated UNESCO World Heritage sites, largely in part for its committee’s efforts towards the preservation and promotion of earthen craftsmanship. ‘From This Earth’ is composed of over 1,400 modular spheres; each individually hand-sculpted from locally sourced materials, and stacked to compose a series of earthen ‘screens’. The porous surfaces act as a modern-day ‘mcharrabiyah’ — an ode to the city’s vernacular characteristics of triangular wind perforations and rooftop silhouettes. The installation will remain on display until March 2024, as part of ‘Layali Diriyah’ hosted by Diriyah Season; an annual celebration honoring the traditions, heritage, and birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, designed by Designlab Experience.  

Shades of brown, from skin to wall. . #rammedearth #earthwall #artinstallation

Utilizing one of the most abundantly found natural materials in the UAE — sand, IOTA is a grand open-air installation showcasing over 150 modular spheres of sand, designed to welcome guests into Dubai’s Downtown Design 2022 fair. The project has been supported by House Of Today, a non-profit design platform that identifies, showcases, nurtures, and connects emerging Lebanese designers to create a relationship with design experts globally. Sand has existed timelessly and, in many ways, paints a meaningful picture of the city's history, culture and identity. Instinctively, the design duo saw this as an opportunity worth embracing while asking themselves — how can the most abundantly found local material be used as an ecological ode to Dubai? The work preserves the age-old method of hand-pressing earth layer above layer, now cast in modern-made moulds. The design duo has reimagined the method through form, showcasing a perceptibly heavy material as contemporary, soft and seemingly weightless. Each tactile sphere is unique in texture and composition, naturally pigmented in an array of colors.