French Artist Mixes Graffiti and Arabic Calligraphy

Calligraphy artist, known by his moniker eL Seed, uses Arabic calligraphy to spread messages of peace and unity and underline the commonalities of human existence. His artwork can be found all over the world, shown both in exhibitions and public places including the façade of L’Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, in the favelas of Rio di Janeiro, on the DMZ in between North and South Korea, in the slums of Cape Town, and in the heart of Cairo’s garbage collectors neighborhood.

Born in 1981 in Paris to Tunisian parents, eL Seed was disconnected from his Arabic roots, speaking only the Tunisian dialect of the language at home. In his teenage years in a kind of quest to rediscover his identity, he began to delve into his own heritage and learned to read and write standard Arabic. It was during this journey that he began to develop his artistic style of calligraphy, which would later bring him worldwide acclaim.

“As a kid, I was into hip hop culture,” he recalled in an interview with Art Radar. “Graffiti was the natural medium for me to express myself in an artistic way. It became more and more a case of [me finding my] identity and reconnecting with my Arabic roots.”

According to eL Seed, Arabic calligraphy was a way for him to build a link between his equally important French and Tunisian backgrounds. “I mix graffiti, which is a ‘western’ medium (although I don’t like to use this term) and Arabic calligraphy, which is an ancient eastern way of expression,” he says. “Bringing both together is a way for me to bring together a picture that seems contradictory, but actually is not. I think that’s the power of calligraphy and art in general. [They] bring two worlds together and link them. That’s why I feel that my work speaks for me.”

Take a look at some of his inspiring work.