KARI MEKHTIGIN - An Alchemy Studio

About Karim Mekhtigian

Born in 1964, Karim Mekhtigian picked-up his skills and knowledge from different corners of the earth. Though Armenian in origin, he was bought-up in Cairo in an environment that allowed him to enjoy relevant crafts of architecture and design. After high school, he traveled to Paris to study Interior Design and Scenography at the E.S.A.T (École Supérieure d’Arts et Techniques) and ended-up living there for fifteen years.

Mekhtigian started his professional activity as an interior Designer and Art Director for several reputable companies, determined to put his experience into practice he enters the world of design by creating his own design studio Dessilk in Paris.With a quest for innovation, he returns to Egypt in 1997 and founds Alchemy Design Studio. In 2003, Alchemy opened its first showroom, giving the local market a glimpse of the company’s furniture design approach.

Artistry to contemporary shapes in order to introduce everyday products that revel in the past whilst looking to the future.

own design studio Dessilk in Paris. With a quest for innovation, he returns to Egypt in 1997 and founds Alchemy Design Studio. In 2003, Alchemy opened its first showroom, giving the local market a glimpse of the company’s furniture design approach.

Believing in the importance of creating an Egyptian design community, in 2005 Mekhtigian becomes a founding member of the EDF (Egyptian Design Forum), a platform that promotes the development of an Egyptian design identity as well as contributing to building and maintaining a strong relationship with local and international industries.

In 2008, Alchemy Design Studio added Branding & Design Management and Retail Management to its service portfolio, allowing it to offer comprehensive design solutions. The year 2010 marked the official launch of the company’s exclusive furniture brand Alchemy Cairo as well as the opening of the biggest Alchemy Showroom at the Designopolis retail compound.

In 2016, Mekhtigian launched Analogue, a brand that brings Egyptian craftsmanship and traditional artistry to contemporary shapes in order to introduce everyday products that revel in the past whilst looking to the future.

The agility to blend past, present and future in the creative world comes naturally to Karim Mekhtigian. He is constantly exploring new avenues how to embed elements of the local culture into contemporary designs that range from buildings, furniture, products and ultimately extending into lifestyle objects. His work is distinguished by its unique approach to ideas and forms, and to the dialogue it engages across the temporalities and geographies.