Zepha

Toulouse, France

Born in 1977, Vincent Abadie Hafez is a French artist who lives and works in Toulouse (France). Under the pseudonym of Zepha, he took part in the graffiti movement as of 1989. Trained in graphic arts, he enriched his art by concentrating on learning traditional calligraphic techniques, concentrating particularly on plastic interactions between Oriental and Western styles.

Influenced by the work of Hassan Massoudy and Georges Mathieu, he has developed a singular visual language through his research on the deconstruction of the letter and the cross-cultural meanings of the signs. Recognised as one of the founders of urban calligraphy, he participates in the diffusion of a new aesthetic, breaking away from pictorial forms hitherto explored in the vandal writing styles. His abstract, methodical and condensed compositions take form in public spaces through monumental mural works in Europe and the Middle East.

The gestural expression and the notion of movement are two fundamental components of the creative process that he pursues simultaneously in his studio work. Linking the formal to the spiritual, his work deconstructs the referents and reads as an enlightening source, praising a neglected universalist thought.

view projects