el Seed
eL Seed is a contemporary artist whose practice bridges painting and sculpture, developing a distinctive visual language inspired by calligraphy and urban art. His work combines intricate layers of color, symbols, and letters to convey universal messages of coexistence, peace, and freedom.
Biography
Bio
eL Seed is an internationally active contemporary artist known for large-scale public artworks and studio-based works.
Academic Carrer
His artistic approach is rooted in extensive research and engagement with language, literature, and cultural traditions encountered during his travels.
Professional Carrer
eL Seed’s work has been presented in major public spaces and institutions worldwide, including projects at the pyramids of Giza, the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, the Duomo in Milan, the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, the DMZ between North and South Korea, and Cairo’s garbage collection district. His works are held in prominent collections such as The Met Museum, the Chrysler Museum, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, and the Collection des Musées de France, and have been exhibited at venues including the Petit Palais in Paris and the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.
Influences
Central themes in eL Seed’s practice include identity, cultural heritage, and the universal search for connection and belonging. Drawing inspiration from local writers, poets, and philosophers, he uses language as a tool to amplify community voices and foster unity. His contributions have been widely recognized, including being named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2021 and receiving awards such as the UNESCO Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture and the International Award for Public Art for his project Perception.
Works from el Seed
Always, Always...
el Seed
including VAT
Edition of /75 + 10 AP
Giclée print and one-colour screen print on paper
Signed and numbered by the artist
Velvet 270 g/m2 paper
70 × 50 cm
2025
This edition began on the island of Lesvos, Greece, where El Seed visited the Moria refugee camp — destroyed by fire in 2020, leaving over 13,000 people without a home. During his visit, he met Achmad, an Afghan refugee, who pointed to the exact spot where his tent once stood. Gesturing to the sea and olive trees behind him, Achmad told the artist: “This was my house. Look at the view!”
That encounter became the starting point for this work. Inspired by Achmad’s words and by the landscape of Lesvos, El Seed created a piece inscribed with a line from the island-born poet Odysseas Elytis:“Always, always, you pass through fire to reach the shining.”This edition encapsulates that message: a powerful testimony to resilience and strength in the face of displacement.



