Dr. Khaled Mehrez has his roots in Qena, Upper Egypt; where he developed his love for Egyptian heritage and traditions. After years of travel, this heritage style merged in his designs with world trends, modernization, and practicality. The first step in his design career was when he joined Helwan University’s Faculty of Applied Arts in 1982; where he advanced academically until he became a Professor of Interior and Furniture Design in 2010.
Dr. Mehrez’s belief in the unlimited creativity of art encouraged him to tackle different artistic fields. His first company, “Black and White” – launched in 1994 – offered architectural, interior, and furniture design consultancy which operated until he opened up “Mehrez-Egyptian Style” in 2002 to specialize in furniture design. Dr. Mehrez had also taken on a five-year urban project for enhancing Asyut City in Upper Egypt; where he re-designed city squares, the river bank, public gardens, landmarks, fountains, and city murals. He even practiced graphic design and created competition-winning posters and brochures for festivals and cultural organizations, while he also won the State Encouragement Award of Furniture Design in 2005. With works exhibited in Egypt, France, Italy and the UAE, Dr. Mehrez’s interior and furniture design portfolio includes over 150 residential, retail, and administrative projects added to presidential and royal hotel suits, as well as embassies and ambassador residences inside and outside of Egypt.
In 2011, Dr. Mehrez resigned from his academic career to focus on the creative and business aspects of his life as the CEO of the merged company “Mehrez+Krema”. His several research papers and all the articles and interviews that were published to document his design approaches have been - and will always be - a source of guidance and inspiration for many, just like his own radio show in 2007-2008 which provided the listeners with ideas on how to decorate their homes. His book “Mystery Pieces”; published in 2019 also provides much information about his design approach and the means of interpreting heritage into design by explaining how specific Egyptian heritage features had inspired his famous Egyptian-Style collection. Dr. Mehrez’s deep connection with heritage, in fact, represents much of his Southern character; which combines determination and solid managerial skills; enabling him to manage over 250 designers, workmen, and employees at Mehrez+Krema. For further reading and information:
