eL Seed

It seems impossible – Cape Town, South Africa - 2012

I was invited to Cape Town in 2012 to give a talk about my art. Obviously, I had to do my best to leave my trace there. So, we were driving on the highway when I saw a little mosque inside Philippi, one of the larger townships in the city. I knew immediately that it would be the door to enter this segregated and apparently dangerous area.

Me : Salam alaykoum 
The Imam : Wa alaykoum salam
Me : I am an artist. I would love to paint an art piece here, in this neighborhood.
The Imam : No, you can’t.
Me : Why? Look!…This is what I do.
The Imam : Oh! Do you want to paint inside the mosque?
Me : I would love to but I would prefer to do something outdoors.

A few minutes later, someone called Forrest arrived. The Imam had called him. He proposed I came back two days later to paint on the most prominent concrete wall of the slum. I painted a small mural based on an inspiring quote by Nelson Mandela: ‘It always seems impossible, until it is done.’

📸

Love…
#حب