A name known in the four corners of the world: the “calligraffiterator” Tuniso-Français El Seed has become, in recent years, the symbol of a whole generation of “new” graffiti, by creating a style where its Arab roots are tangled with an innovation and a striking singularity. From Paris to Dubai, via Gabès, the two Koreas and Brazil, El Seed aims far and seeks to pass messages of peace and fraternity, wherever he goes.
Who is El Seed?
I am a Tuniso-Français artist, but afterwards, nationality is not important. What is important is the link I have with my country, I am as attached to Paris as in Gabès.
In my work, I make a mix between Arabic calligraphy and graffiti and what I do is that I inspire myself from the Arab tradition and wherever I go I try to paint messages that are related to the place where I am. If I am in Tunisia, I try to talk about the Tunisian people but above all highlight the place where I am.
I started painting a long time ago, but it’s been a few years since I was lucky and the privilege of traveling everywhere and putting my trace.
About traces, your name is quite original. How did the idea of El Seed come?
My real name is Faouzi Khlifi. El Seed comes from Cid de Corneille. When I was 16, I was in class in French and the teacher told us that the CID comes from “Al Sayed”, that is to say the man or the master. At that time, I started to do graffiti and I liked the intonation of the word, and since then I am El Seed!
You went from logistics director to artist consultant. How did it go?
I have been painting since I was little except that I have never encouraged me to have an artistic career. I was logistical director in the United States, then I was a consultant in Montreal, but there was something that I was missing. I felt it, there was no use and I was often wondering “What am I doing?” And art was there, like a kind of outlet.
On weekends for example, I was doing painting and I felt alive. People were interested in my work, and that’s where I started to have small projects and get a little bit of money. I saw that I could live with this work. So I resigned one day before my daughter’s birth. It was not a click, I made the decision to change my career gradually.
The impact of Tunisia in what you do?
It was the Arab culture in general that influences me … When I was young in Paris I was told that I was not French, and when I was in Tunisia I was told that I was not Tunisian. So I redirected myself to my Tunisian origins, I took Arab lessons, I learned to read to write and I planned to return to Tunisia once the bac in your pocket (unlike the young Tunisians who, after the bac, want to leave the country). I was in a kind of quest for identity.
Tunisia is certainly part of my identity. When I travel, I proudly say that I am Tunisian. Besides, I think I would not be able to do what I do today if I was not Franco-Tunisian or Tuniso-Français. It was the love of Tunisia that made I need to return to my Arab origins.
And afterwards, my first biggest projects were in Tunisia. In all the projects I have been able to do, she is with me. I am proud to be Tunisian.
How do you see graffiti in Tunisia?
It has evolved. 10 years ago, it was still limited, we could list the graffitors on the fingers of one hand and they all knew each other but there it evolved. For example, there are the young people of Sfax St4, who are starting to go up, there is Kim, Karim Jabbari the Calligraph. There is a community that goes up, and after the revolution there was a kind of artistic excitement. There are lots of hidden talents that are discovered in all areas.
In April we will paint a tabarka wall and participate in the opening of FIFAG. The message I would like to convey is that young people should not expect anyone. Do not wait for the government, do not wait for the creation of a club to do something, go and peigniez.
If you don’t have a spray, use normal paintings, if you don’t have paint, use coal, if you don’t have coal, draw on a sheet! What is important is to expect nothing, don’t wait for someone to come by hand.
So tell us about the “lost walls” or “lost wallls” project?
The idea was to go to places that people know or know little. For example, we met the Berber community of Guellala, the Jewish community of Sidi Riyadh, we also left for Tataouine where there are 155 Berber castles, only 11 of which were maintained and preserved by the authorities.
So we turn, we move. We made 24 walls in 17 towns and villages and we learned so much about the history of Tunisia. Besides, we release a documentary that we are going to present to FIFA (Gabès) at the end of April and we will send it to other festivals like Sundance and Trbecca Festival and for me it is important to show it in Tunisia, and Gabès first, before everyone.
The book, we released it in 2014 in French and in English and the preface was written by the director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and there we release a film five years after having shot it because we returned a few weeks ago to film the 24 walls we had painted.
In what state did you find “your” walls?
There is nothing left! There were some who have been deleted, others have been destroyed or vandalized. But the goal, being an artist, is to leave a trace for life. The only trace you leave is “living with people”. We showed the book to the people of the region that we had met after these years, and they were happy.
Do you think that the authorities on guardianship, including the Ministry of Culture, take care of the walls?
It is not taking care of it, the important thing is to relay information. Sometimes I tell myself that I would like a newspaper of good news in Tunisia. With all these discouraging news, more artists must commit and show the true face of this country, and it is necessary to highlight all the good initiatives that young people take.
For example, there is Wassim Ghozlani who opened the second house in photography in Tunis and he raised enough money to offer a training of 3 years to 18 young people. Why don’t we show that? Everywhere there are Tunisians who take initiatives and who are talking about them abroad, that’s what I regret.
Tell us a bit about the project carried out in Korea.
This is a project that I carried out at the level of the demilitarized Korean zone, a border between South Korea and North Korea, five months ago. It is a metal work, 60 meters, drawn up over a period of six months, on which I wrote a poem of a Korean poet who says: “Impossible to forget”. A nod to the history of relations between the two countries.
Your work is known in the four corners of the world, appreciated and admired everywhere. You are asked, as an artist, what do you feel?
I thank God. My father is from the southern Tunisian, a family of farmers. He dropped everything in Gabès and he came, at the age of 23 in Paris. He encouraged and pushed to us so that each of us, his children, counts on himself. The pride that I see in his eyes, every time I realize something important fills me and I tell myself that ultimately, everything is possible.
I am honored and I know it is a privilege. I am happy to do something that I like and especially the fact that my work is appreciated. The important thing is to remain faithful to myself and not to forget where I come from. I come from Gabès.
Is it difficult to keep the balance between the financial aspect and artistic integrity?
As long as it does not go against my values, I do not say no to projects. What is important is not to think that money only. For example when small Tunisian or Indian associations contact me to visit them and do a project, I’m not going to say no and talk about cachet. If there is a possibility of organizing, I do it willingly and I go to them. Moreover, the project of the lost walls, I was able to do it thanks to the money I earned at Luis Vuitton.
What is the message you want to get through your works?
I do not have a particular message, I write universal messages that are linked to a particular place. In Korea, we were talking about unification between the two countries; In Egypt we talked about the perception of people; In Tunisia, in Gabès, we were talking about the rapprochement between people; In Brazil it was rather on the black community of the country that we concentrated.
So this is not a single message in particular but rather the opening of a “dialogue” through the work. We let people discuss and get closer to each other, it is the most important to me.
Your projects in sight?
We have the release of the book “Perceptions”, which focuses on the Egypt project, in a few months. We also have the film, but later in the year.
The documentary on the lost walls will be projected in Fifag in April, with perhaps a projection in the Maison de la Photo in Tunis, at Wassim Ghozlani, but it is not yet confirmed. There are also projects in Italy, England etc …
