Part 3 of the TED Radio Hour episode How Art Changes Us.
About eL Seed's TED Talk
Using Arabic calligraphy, eL Seed paints messages of hope on the sides of buildings. He says the beauty of Arabic script — even if you can't read it — can change negative perceptions of Arab culture.
About eL Seed
French-Tunisian artist eL Seed blends the historic art of Arabic calligraphy with graffti to portray messages of beauty, poetry and peace around the world. His goal is to create dialogue and promote tolerance as well as change global perceptions of Arabic culture.
In 2016, he created a sprawling mural in the Manshiyat Naser neighborhood of Cairo that spans 50 buildings and can only be viewed from a local mountaintop. Other examples of his work can be found in his book, Lost Walls: A Caligraffiti Journey through Tunisia.
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1 of 10
— eL Seed: Jara Mosque (Gabas, Tunisia)
eL Seed: Jara Mosque (Gabas, Tunisia)
/ Courtesy of eL Seed
2 of 10
— eL Seed: Lost Walls (Chott el Djerid, Tunisia)
eL Seed: Lost Walls (Chott el Djerid, Tunisia)
/ Courtesy of eL Seed
3 of 10
— eL Seed: Lost Walls (Jerissa, Tunisia)
eL Seed: Lost Walls (Jerissa, Tunisia)
/ Courtesy of eL Seed
4 of 10
— eL Seed: Lost Walls (Douz, Tunisia)
eL Seed: Lost Walls (Douz, Tunisia)
/ Courtesy of eL Seed
5 of 10
— eL Seed: Rue Didouche Mourad (Algiers, Algeria)
eL Seed: Rue Didouche Mourad (Algiers, Algeria)
/ Courtesy of eL Seed
6 of 10
— eL Seed: Art Rua (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
eL Seed: Art Rua (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
/ Courtesy of eL Seed
7 of 10
— eL Seed: Open Your Heart (Montry, France)
eL Seed: Open Your Heart (Montry, France)
/ Courtesy of eL Seed
8 of 10
— eL Seed: Zaraeeb (Cairo, Egypt)
eL Seed: Zaraeeb (Cairo, Egypt)
/ Courtesy of eL Seed
9 of 10
— eL Seed: Zaraeeb (Cairo, Egypt)
eL Seed: Zaraeeb (Cairo, Egypt)
/ Courtesy of eL Seed
10 of 10
— eL Seed: Zaraeeb (Cairo, Egypt)
eL Seed: Zaraeeb (Cairo, Egypt)
/ Courtesy of eL Seed
