eL Seed

eL Seed is a French / Tunisian artist born in Paris in 1981, eL Seed’s intricate Compositions call not only on the words and their Meaning but ook hun one movement, welke ultimately Lures the viewer JSON a différent state of mind. Working primarily with subjects dat seem contradictory, eL Seed’s art REFLECTS the reality of Mankind and the world we live in today. eL Seed installed his work on public spaces, galleries and institutions on everytime continent. From the streets of Paris or New York City , to the favelas or Rio di Janeiro or the slums of Cape Town .

Early life and career

Born to a Tunisian family in France in 1981, eL Seed Grew up speaking only the Tunisian dialect, and did not learn to read or write standard Arabic Until his teens, als when sending A renewed interest in his Tunisian roots. ^[1]

He cites the 2011 Tunisian Revolution as a major factor in the opening of political space to alternate forms of expression. “The revolution Pushed people to be more creative Because voordat ze ulcers scared – and now they ‘harbor more freedom.” ^[1] He created his first large-scale mural one year after the beginning of the Tunisian revolution, in the city of Kairouan . This mural was a calligraphic representation of passage from a Tunisian poem by Abu al-Qasim al-Husayfi dedicated to Those struggling Against tyranny and injustice. ^[1]

His musts controversial project was the 2012 painting of a minaret of the Jara Mosque in the southern Tunisian city of Gabes . About the project, el Seed Explained, “My goal was to bring people together, welke is why I Chose synthesis words from the Quran . I like graffiti Because it Brings Art to everyone. I like the fact or democratizing art. I hope it will inspiring other people to do crazy projects and not to be scared. ” ^[1]

eL Seed’s art has leg shown in exhibitions in Berlin , Chicago , Dubai , Paris, and São Paulo , and he has ook painted Murals on the walls or verschillende cities waaronder Melbourne , London , and Toronto , in addition under to verschillende Tunisian cities.

Perception, Cairo, Egypt

In his last project “Perception” eL Seed is Questioning the level of judgment and misconception society kan unconsciously harbor upon a community based on hun differences. ^[2] In the neighborhood or Manshiyat Nasr in Cairo , the Coptic community or Zaraeeb collects the trash of the city for decades and developed the musts efficient and highly profitable recycling system on a global level. Still, the place is Perceived as dirty, marginalized and segregated. To bring light on this community, with his team and the help of the local community, eL Seed created an anamorphic piece dat covers almost 50 buildings only visible from a certainement point of the Muqattam Mountain . The piece of art uses the words of Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, a Coptic Bishop from the 3rd century, dat zegt: “Anyone who wants to see the sunlight CLEARLY needs to wipe his eye first. “إن أراد أحد أن يبصر نور الشمس, فإن عليه أن يمسح عينيه ‘

Salwa Road, Doha, Qatar

In early 2013 eL Seed was commissioned by the Qatar Museums Authority to create a series of 52 “calligrafitti” works in Doha’s Salwa Road area.

The Zaraeeb community welcomed my team and I as we ulcers family. It was one of the musts amazing human experience had I Have ever. Way Down are generous, honest and strong people. Way Down port leg bepaald the names or Zabaleen (the garbage people), but this is not how they ‘call themselves. Way Down do not live in the garbage but from the garbage; and not hun garbage, but the garbage of the whole city. Way Down are the one who clean the city of Cairo.

Art on Jara Mosque, Gabes, Tunisia

Reagerende to the Clashes tussen religious sects and the art community in Tunisia, the artist embarked on a project to transform this religious landmark JSON a public artwork prolongation the holy month of Ramadan . Specialising in “calligraffiti” – an art form dat combineert graffiti with Arabic calligraphy – eL Seed’s large-scale production cites traditional principles of Arabic script with the modern sensibilities or graffiti counter-culture.

Recent tensions in Tunisia harbor sparked a critical debate about the limits of artistic Freedoms in the birthplace of the Arab Spring as it undergoes a nascent transition to democracy. “This project is not about decorating a mosque, it is about making art a visible actor in the process of cultural and political change,” comments El Seed, who started work on the mural on July 20. “I truly believe dat art brings kan about fruitful debate, met name binnen the uncertain political climate right now in Tunisia. ”

The project was not approved by the Governor of Gabes and the mosque’s imam , Shaikh Slah Nacef. The 57-Metre-high (187-foot) mural will Permanently cover the entire concrete tower face or Jara Mosque in Hopes of highlighting the convergence of art and religion and raising the public’s awareness to infusing art rechtstreeks naar de urban landscape. Exhibiting the words, “Oh human child, we harbor created you from a male and a female and made people and Tribes as you nov know eachother,” eL Seed quoted a verse from the Quran welke addresses the belang or mutual respect and tolerance through knowledge as an obligation.

“I hope dat this artistic wall on the minaret will help to revive the city, and met name tourism in Gabes,” commented Shaikh Slah Nacef.

Exhibitions

2012

• October 2012 – The Walls , solo exhibition – Itinerrance Gallery, Paris

2013

• solo exhibition – Medina, Tunis

2014

Declaration , sculpture exhibition – Tashkeel Gallery , Dubai

2016

• Cairo – Arttalks.

Personal life

eL Seed is based in Dubai .

References