Two artists known for turning Arabic calligraphy into monumental public art will sit down together at this year's Arab Media Summit to talk about how art tells stories that words alone cannot.
Mattar bin Lahej and eL Seed will take part in a session titled 'The Power of Art in Storytelling' at the Arab Youth Media Forum, part of the Arab Media Summit 2026. The summit is organised by the Dubai Press Club and runs from 15 to 17 September at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
What the session will cover
The conversation will look at how art enables storytelling, expresses human experience, and bridges cultural and linguistic divides between communities. For a summit built around media and communication, the pairing of these two artists points to a specific angle: visual art as a language that travels across borders where spoken and written language sometimes cannot.
Who is Mattar bin Lahej
Mattar bin Lahej is an Emirati artist whose work spans painting, photography, design, and sculpture. He is best known for his distinctive treatment of Arabic calligraphy, using it to explore questions of identity, culture, and the tension between tradition and modernity.
His public work is already familiar to many in the UAE. He created the 'Power of Words' sculptures at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi, and he designed the calligraphic façade of Dubai's Museum of the Future, one of the city's most photographed buildings.
