ng Beirut, Prague, London, Tokyo, Melbourne, and has taught at the University of Tokyo and the American University of Beirut. He has exhibited his works in the Liverpool, Kwangju Art and the Venice Architecture Biennales, and regularly gives lectures at universities and international conferences worldwide. This book is a vital collection of Karam s vast array of work. Shaped by his innate tragi-comic sense of story-telling, his architectural studies in Japan and Lebanese cultural background, Karam s paintings and sculptures take us into a whimsical land of absurdity which makes even his most serious, darkest messages palatable. Clouds and Smoke presents both the work and a view into the thoughts of this pivotal twentyfirst-century artist. Coming as he does from a region where allegiance to symbols has long been a basis for fanaticism and conflict, Karam s rich vocabulary of forms both creates a fragmentation of ideas and generates a multiplicity of stories that are open to interpretation. One of the rare contemporary artists comfortable on a huge urban scale, Karam s urban projects reveal his transcendent stance between the worlds of art and architecture. Whether it be through small or large scale sculptures, paintings or sketches, Karam s works are engaging, humorous and provocative; an artistic combat against terrorism in the city and the stultifying routines of urban life.