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.

His work has been exhibited at the “Contemporary Arab Photography Biennale” at the Institut Du Monde Arabe in Paris, the Grid Cape Town Biennale in South Africa, the off-Biennale in Cairo titled “Something Else”, Abu Dhabi Art at Hafez Gallery, Cite Internationale Des Arts Paris, Art D’Egypt and Darb1718 in Cairo, in addition to the Egyptian pavilion at Dak’art Biennale. His work has been featured in numerous publications throughout the region.

El Hayawan is also the founder of Cairo Saturday Walks, an initiative that invites participants to explore different neighborhoods in Egypt through street photography, with proceeds of an annual group show going back to one of the frequently visited areas. The initiative was featured and highlighted on CNN’s “Connect the World” and “Destination Egypt”.