Iffat Karim

My creative spirit and bond with the natural world is my home. As a child I was intuitively aware of my connection with nature and my passion for artistic self-expression. As a first generation Bangladeshi American, who defied societal norms, studying the environment and creating art was the only way I could survive my adolescence

Determined to pave my own path, I moved across the country to study Fine Arts at Columbia College Chicago. I used that time to define what kind of artist I wanted to become, and to study life sciences. At the Field Museum, I learned how art and science are combined professionally, and was inspired to direct my artistic goals to the Natural Sciences. After completing my Bachelors, I taught art across Chicago, and witnessed the joy of sharing art with all age groups and backgrounds.

 The natural world teaches us what it means to exist and live with all living things. Sharing that knowledge through art education is key to our survival in this disconnected capitalistic world we live in. I am overjoyed to share those ambitions and thrive through the Science Illustration program at CSUMB.