Karim has no formal training in art beyond A Level. His main art form was painting, using poster colours for the matte finish, though he did enjoy sketching in graphite. Although he had a chance to pursue further studies in art at the Slade School of Art, he elected to study architecture at Manchester University.

Karim continued painting throughout university and then developed a keen interest in art photography after graduating. He has lately started sculpting in wood.

He decided to use gold paint to highlight the “head”, which is stone, and to accentuate the textural irregularities in the pieces of wood.

Karim has recently completed a series of faith-based conceptual works in soft pastels, as a means of exploring and expressing Islamic concepts from the Quran as well as the writings of Ibn al-‘Arabī and Nasir Khusraw, and his own thoughts.

While the subject matter in his photography varies, he has found the constant theme in his work is that of reflections, both in glass and water. In the former, he is fascinated by how the real and the reflected meld into one, where it is difficult to distinguish one from the other. No effects, such as superimposition or double exposure, are used. His photos of reflections in water have the quality that turns the real into abstract.