eL Seed is a street artist born in Paris to Tunisian parents.

He did not learn to read or write Arabic until his late teens, but when he did his renewed interest in his heritage had a profound effect on his art.

eL Seed now paints in a style he calls "calligraffiti" - blending the ancient art form of calligraphy with contemporary graffiti.

He is most famous for the huge murals he paints across the sides of multi-storey buildings.

BBC News caught up with eL Seed in Sharjah, UAE, to talk about tradition, identity and the future of street art.

Video journalist: Rubika Shah

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