The studio
eL Seed works in the public sphere. His work is not signed and he doesn’t claim ownership upon them. He works for the people and most of the time, with the people. This idea of democratising art extends to his studio space. He works from a warehouse in Alserkal Avenue in Dubai where the door is always open. He wants people to be able to visit him at any time and witness the way he works. The studio space is a reflection of what he does in public.
process
Process
Most of eL Seed’s large murals are painted freehand. This means that he keeps the final result in his mind’s eye and paints towards that, using only a spray can or a brush, a crane and a lot of patience. But the process behind every single eL Seed artpiece is far from arbitrary.
Before beginning any project, the artist spends many hours researching into the social and political history of the place in which he will paint, and reading texts by authors linked in some way to the site. He chooses the text carefully and also makes sure the words are translated effectively into Arabic. The meaning and message behind every piece is equally as important as the visual effect.
Sometimes, eL Seed has a particular theme in mind that he wants to raise so he will search for the appropriate place and quote. In other circumstances, a community will reach out to him first, so he will look for the most appropriate issue to address with his art.
If a project is technically difficult – such as in Cairo when he painted a mural over the facades of 50 buildings – he may need to make sketches before proceeding. Also, for sculptural work, sketches are a necessary step.
CANVAS
CANVAS
Selected Canvas
SCULPTURES
SCULPTURES
Selected Sculptures
space
The Space
eL Seed works in the public sphere. His work is not signed and he doesn’t claim ownership upon them. He works for the people and most of the time, with the people. This idea of democratising art extends to his studio space. He works from a warehouse in Alserkal Avenue in Dubai where the door is always open. He wants people to be able to visit him at any time and witness the way he works. The studio space is a reflection of what he does in public.