Oct 16, 2018 eL Seed Spreads the Word
A very unassuming young man stands in the wing of the Bovard Auditorium on the campus of the University of Southern California in a crimson hoodie, as any other student would. However, once the lights dim and a very impressive resume is read the young unassuming man walks to the stage and in a very thick French accent says, “I have to represent, right?” pointing to the USC logo on the sweater. The unassuming man is eL Seed. eL Seed is a French-Tunisian calligraffitist, encouraging a message of peace and hope across the globe.
Artist, activist, and TED fellow, eL Seed blends the art of modern graffiti and ancient Arabic calligraphy to create visuals that are both breathe taking and thought provoking. For one hour an auditorium full of students and fans sat silently, hanging on every word. He presented to the crowd a slide show of his work from all over the world. A mural on the side of an Asian/American restaurant in Philadelphia with a quote from W.E.B. DuBois states, “I believe that all men, black and brown and white, are brothers, varying through time and opportunity, in form and gift and feature, but differing in no essential particular, and alike in soul and the possibility of infinite development”. A sentence on the abandoned Star Wars set in Tunisia that simply says, “I will never be your son”. And massive anamorphic piece entitled “Perception” in Cairo sprawls across an entire neighborhood that reads, “ Anyone who wants to see the sunlight clearly needs to wipe his eyes”. His approach in every city is gracious and respectful of the community.
eL Seed will continue his crusade to spread the work of unity and peace through art. His beautiful and effortless blend of the ancient and modern will capture the hearts and minds of the world, one surface at a time. “You enter the place through the people,” eL Seed.