Nadim Karam: “We always have to go towards the clouds, not towards the smoke. Towards dreams, not wars.”

In this episode of The Creative Hustle, I am joined by Nadim Karam, a renowned architect and artist who invites the world to dream and realize those dreams. In this poetic and powerful conversation, he reflects on his lifelong mission to infuse cities with imagination through monumental public art. With iconic projects spanning Melbourne, Prague, Tokyo, Dubai, AlUla, and beyond, Nadim shares how his sculptures and installations reshape public spaces, spark collective memory, and offer moments of reflection, both in times of peace and destruction. We explore the role of the artist in the urban landscape, the transformative power of public art, the importance of collaboration and interdisciplinarity in creative practice, and what it truly means to build hope into the fabric of a city. Chapters 0:00 Coming up… 1:40 From Urban Toys to Collaboration 3:30 Growing up in Lebanon 7:41 Influences of Japanese Architecture 11:30 Expression through different media 12:41 Starting with a sketch 15:00 Creating dreams for cities 16:10 Characters as an alphabet 17:28 ‘On parade’ in Al Ula 19:20 Creative work is a negotiation 23:19 The Rise of Public Art in MENA 28:38 The power of sculptures 29:49 1001 characters 31:24 The Vision of the ‘Cloud of Arabia’ 37:06 Nadim’s advice for aspiring artists