Khalil Ayed

Background

About Khalil Ayed

Khalil is a Tunisian calligrapher, designer, & fine artist based in New York City. Khalil strives to provide beauty through art for all his patrons as a storyteller, as his work is a glimpse into his life and journey into artistic expression. Khalil shares his artistic talents through different mediums within digital media, curated events, and his noted network of international individuals. Since his childhood, Khalil has been enthralled with the letters and the shapes they form as a word, the expressions they hide within their curves and lines. With his left hand, Khalil broke all classic rules and measurements of Arabic letters by incorporating graffiti techniques and methods. This allowed him to find his unique and unorthodox lettering style. Starting from the dot, letters are made—and from letters, fine art is created. Through his art, Khalil has consistently addressed issues that are related to his community. His work is a story, a memory, a failure, a success, and a milestone. He addresses the minds before the hearts. Through his abstract calligraphy and color combinations, he elicits mixed feelings and brings a lot of questions to the surface. Khalil grew up in Kairouan, a city that gave him the most important things an artist could get: Heritage, Culture, and Challenges. A marriage of elements that made him appreciate every moment, cherish every milestone, and share his journey through his colors and brushes. His artistic process is inspired by a quote from Tunisian political activist Nabil Barakati:"Life can be long or short, those are relative circumstances… What important is the person’s actions and what they leave behind.” This motto kept the balance between two realms: Reality, and Creativity. Learning this lesson helped him merge calligraphy with other disciplines, styles, techniques, mediums, and stories.