eL Seed

Of Tunisian and French background, eL Seed (b.1981, France) uses Arabic calligraphy and a distinctive style to spread messages of peace, unity and to underline the commonalities of human existence. eL Seed works directly with communities, spending significant time researching an appropriate quote to summarize the voice of the community and to underline his key principles of love, respect and tolerance.

His artwork aims to unify communities and redress stereotypes, and has been shown in exhibitions and in public places all over the world including most notably, on the facade of l’institut du monde Arabe in Paris, in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, on the DMZ between North and South Korea, in the slums of Cape Town, and in the heart of Cairo’s garbage collectors neighborhood.

In 2017, he won the UNESCO Sharjah prize for Arab Culture. He was named a global thinker in 2016 by Foreign Policy for his project “Perception”. In 2015, the international organization TED recognized him as one of the year’s TED Fellows, for advocating peaceful expression and social progress through his work. He has also collaborated with Louis Vuitton on their famous “Foulard d’artistes.”