Kareem Rizk's Talk

Kareem Rizk is a Melbourne based Australian artist who graduated from Monash University in 2004 with a Bachelor in Graphic Design. This course encouraged the exploration of a rich and diverse array of mixed media techniques which has always been evident in his work. During the course, Rizk developed a great appreciation for collage and it became a regularly explored medium.

Rizk’s initial ambition was to forge a career as a Graphic Designer. Previous work includes a position as a Graphic Designer for Melbourne’s No.1 selling newspaper, The Herald Sun, as well as freelance design for various large and small clients.
However, it was a short time after the completion of the university course that Rizk’s creative interests began to turn to fine art, particularly mixed media collage. While working as a Graphic Designer, the interest in collage continued to develop and eventually became the focus of Rizk’s endeavours.


Rizk started making collages in 2005. But it wasn’t until sometime later when an emphasis on exposing the work began. After leaving the Herald Sun newspaper in March 2006 Rizk started work on a large body of collage work. In June 2006 Rizk starting promoting his work. After only a few months of promoting his work Rizk was offered several opportunities for printed publication and exposure in Australia, USA and the UK. Shortly after this came offers to exhibit his artwork in galleries.

Often what you’ll find in his work is that the faces/eyes have cut out and alot of the images apprear to be aged and stained - vintage. This is because he uses image from particular magazines from 50’s & 60’ sometimes 70’s. He uses these image because they are largely out of copyright and he appreciates the aged vintage look. However to be extra carefully, he scratches or erodes around the person in the photo’s eyes and face, so as to be absolutely safe from infringing copyright.

He will use this effect, and that of staining the paper to give a real period “patina” to his work, this will involve mixing coffee and water to get the desire staining. He will also tear and scratch up paper scan them in and layer them to give the right texture and feel.

Rizk would have to be one of my favourite artist that I have seen “in this course” so far, however once Rizk show us his influence’s (those being various pop & op artist among those was Peter Blake) and after seeing this it became apparent to me how similar his work was to this influence’s & inspiration so much so that you could get the two mixed up! Which is unfortunate, because one of the thing most I value in art & artist is originally it can be similar but, this is a big but, not too similar that you could get the two mixed up..

All in all I enjoyed his talk and his artwork, however similar to other artist, he may have my adoration but not my respect.

Some of his work:







My favorite