World-renowned Tunisian-French graffiti artist El Seed has created an incredible artwork covering almost 50 buildings in the Manshiyat Nasr neighborhood in Cairo, in his latest project titled "Perception".
The massive anamorphic piece, which is only visible from a specific point on Cairo's Moqattam hill, displays words from a quote by Saint Athanasius of Alexandria which says: "Anyone who wants to see the sunlight clearly needs to wipe his eye first".
El Seed revealed his masterpiece Tuesday after several weeks of posting photos of the work in progress, leaving fans wondering about what the artist was working on in the Egyptian capital.
In "Perception," El Seed puts the spotlight on Cairo's Coptic community of Zareeb which lives in Manshiyat Nasr and collects the city's garbage, an occupation which has long left them and their neighborhood subject to Egyptian society's disapproving gaze.
"The Coptic community of Zaraeeb collects the trash of the city for decades and developed the most efficient and highly profitable recycling system on a global level. Still, the place is perceived as dirty, marginalized and segregated," El Seed said in his statement .
"They are generous, honest and strong people. They have been given the name of Zabaleen (the garbage people), but this is not how they call themselves. They don’t live in the garbage but from the garbage; and not their garbage, but the garbage of the whole city. They are the ones who clean the city of Cairo."
The graffiti pioneer said the Zareeb community welcomed him and his team like family, calling the experience "one of the most amazing human experiences I have ever had."
The project however not only aims to shed light on Zareeb, but to use the classist view of this misunderstood community to highlight the flaws of society's damaging misconceptions.
El Seed, who innovated the fusion of Arabic calligraphy and street graffiti, is well-known for his thought-provoking pieces which cover walls and buildings around the globe. He has never shied away from using his art to convey messages on a variety of social, political and cultural issues.
El Seed said that with "Perception" he is "questioning the level of judgment and misconception society can unconsciously have upon a community based on their differences."