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Quote by eL Seed

“It was an identity crisis. I was born and raised in France, but I never really felt French, so I needed to find something that I was more connected to. I used to go back to Tunisia every summer, but I was more into the language, my Arabic roots.”

Quote by eL Seed

Author

eL Seed, whose real name is Elie Lhabian, is a French street artist known for his large-scale murals. His works often blend Arabic calligraphy with modern art styles, expressing thoughts on peace, love, and memory. more

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“I couldn't know about my culture, my history, without learning the language, so I started learning Arabic - reading, writing. I used to speak Arabic before that, but Tunisian Arabic dialect. Step by step, I discovered calligraphy. I painted before and I just brought the calligraphy into my artwork. That's how everything started. The funny thing is the fact that going back to my roots made me feel French.”

Knows Feels Writing Made Facts Used Culture Reading Speak Language Steps Roots Funny Things Artwork Dialect Reading Writing Calligraphy

Author:eL Seed

“In France, they make you feel that you cannot be two things at the same time. You can't be French and Arabic; you can't be French and Muslim.”

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“When actually, you have one identity made of different parts. Depending on where you are, at what time in your life, some things are higher or deeper. That's what I understood later: that I'm French and Tunisian, and I'm accepting the French part of my identity.”

Made Different Accepting Identity Higher Understood Deeper Where You Are

Author:eL Seed

“"eL Seed" was inspired by the French play Le Cid by Pierre Corneille. It was seeing "Le Cid" coming from the Arabic name "el sayed," which means "the master, the man." So I called myself like that because I was 16; I said, "Yes, I'm the man." That's how it started.”

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“You meet a lot of people [in Dubai] coming from a lot of different places. Even me, I'm always in transit. I don't stay anywhere too long. I like the energy that I found when I came here the first time. I start knowing people, and people start knowing me as well.”

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“I've been working a lot with identity and roots, being part of your roots. I went into this topic where I was trying to break the stereotype of Arabic language. The non-translation work, this is where I make the switch, where you don't need to translate.”

Needs Trying Language Break Identity Roots Translate Stereotype Topics Translations Working A Lot Arabic Language

Author:eL Seed

“I'm more into the perception scope of a work; I'm exploring this concept of perception and how people can look at someone, look at the community, and put in so much judgment, so much stereotype, so much misconception.”

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“I'm trying to create artwork that makes people, and myself, think about judgment as a reflex. This is something that must be changed.”

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Author:eL Seed

“Sometimes the reading is related to something I do, sometimes it's not. I feel like every time I read something, there's a quote or something that comes [into the work] later. There's nothing that happens by coincidence. It's fate, I would say.”

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Author:eL Seed

“I've seen it personally that people have a natural sensibility to Arabic script. I don't know it if it's because of the shape, I don't know what it is in this script that makes it so universal. But even if you don't understand it, you still have this feeling; you can feel the piece of art in front of you.”

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Author:eL Seed