“Share The Word Project” is an on-going global art project by Seb Toussaint.
Seb Toussaint approaches families living in slums and refugee camps and asks them to express a word that is meaningful to them and which they would like to share with the outside world. He then paints the word on the family’s house, freestyling the mural.
He typically spends one month in each place.
The aim is not only to bring his art to areas where street-art is very rare or non-existant. Above all, the aim is to bring attention to vulnerable communities through people’s voices. “Share The Word Project” makes people from the outside world listen to what marginalised communities want to express. On social media, during exhibitions or talks, the artist explains the stories behind the words and why people chose them.
To this day, “Share The Word Project” has taken place in Kenya, Indonesia, Normandy, Nepal, Colombia, Egypt, the Philippines, Ethiopia, France, Brazil, India, Iraq, Italy, Niger, Uganda, Ivory Coast, Mayotte, Palestine, Venezuela, Kyrgyzstan and Mauritania.
Seb Toussaint has painted more than 220 different murals with words in many different scripts and languages.
To follow the project : @sebtoussaint on Instagram.
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Zaatar, Nouakchott, Mauritania – January 2023 :
”JOY” in Arabic, chosen by Tahar, 25
”BARAH”* in Arabic, chosen by Maryam, 15.
* There isn’t a word for it in English, but it means « gratefulness towards one’s parents ».
”FUTURE” in Arabic, chosen by Ali, 25
”HAPPINESS” in Arabic, chosen by Maryam, 42
”LIGHT” in Arabic, chosen by Ahmed, 54
”YOUTH” in Arabic, chosen by Fatmatou, 15
”FRIENDS” in Arabic, chosen by Umu, 13
”FEMALE CAMEL” in Arabic, chosen by Eshatou, 25
”MAMA’ in Arabic, chosen by Ahmed, 11
* * * * * *
Zavodskoy Poselok, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan – August and September 2021 :
”FRIENDSHIP” in Kyrgyz, chosen by Gulsara, 49
”Unity” in Kyrgyz, chosen by Zamir, 31
”PEACE” in Kyrgyz, chosen by Altynai, 28
”BREAD” in Kyrgyz, chosen by Alik, 62
”GOOD FORTUNE” in Kyrgyz, chosen by Doni, 12
”HARMONY” in Kyrgyz, chosen by Mahabat, 44
”HAPPINESS” in Kyrgyz, chosen by Rosa, 45
”LIFE” in Kyrgyz, chosen by Umar, 41
* * * * * *
Favara, Italy, – September 2020 :
”SCOOTER” in italian, chosen by Carmelo, 15
”LIFE”, chosen by Muftah
”FRIENDSHIP” in italian, chosen by Alfredo, 13
”FAITH” in italian, chosen by Paola
”RESPECT” in italian, chosen by Maria
* * * * * *
Petare, Caracas, Venezuela – October 2019 :
”RESILIENCE” in Spanish, chosen by Katy, 44
”LIFE” in Spanish, chosen by Yaneth, 67
”FREEDOM” in Spanish, chosen by Emily, 13
”COMMITMENT” in Spanish, chosen by Solange, 47
”UNION” in Spanish, chosen by Sheherazade, 17
”FRIENDSHIP” in Spanish, chosen by Chipi, 45
”MEMORY” in Spanish, chosen by Yoana, 44
”GOD” in Spanish, chosen by Henry (Brisas de Propatria)
* * * * * *
Balata Refugee Camp, Palestine – September 2019 :
”LIFE” in Arabic, chosen by Rafif, 11
”WOMAN” in Arabic, chosen by Fatima, teacher, 45
”HAPPINESS” in Arabic, chosen by Iara, 12.
”COOPERATION” in Arabic, chosen by Oma Mohamad, 80
”CREATIVITY” in Arabic, chosen by Jamila, 16
”EXEMPLE” in Arabic, chosen by Mahmood, 16
* * * * * *
Ongojou, Mayotte – August 2019 :
”YOUTH” in Shimaore, chosen by the local kids
”GOODNESS” in Shimaore, chosen by the local kids
”UNITY” in Shimaore, chosen by the local kids
”TO LOVE EACHOTHER” in Shimaore, chosen by the local kids
”WATER” in Shimaore, chosen by the local kids
* * * * * *
Le Trou, Abidjan, Ivory Coast – March 2019 :
”PEACE” in French, chosen by Mama Cadi, 48
”LOVE” in French, chosen by Cynthia, 20
”JOY” in French, chosen by Adele, 40
”ALLAH” in Arabic, chosen by Habiba, 43
”LIFE” in French, chosen by Janette, 37
Photo : Spag
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New Congo, Nakivale Refugee Settlement, Uganda – September 2018 :
”WELCOME” in Swahili, chosen by Chantal, young mother
”PEACE” in Swahili, chosen by Chantal, 56
”PEACE” in French, chosen by Baloba, 50
”HAPPINESS” in Swahili, chosen by Chantal, 42
”LUCK” in French, chosen by Patience, 35
”LIFE” in Kinyamurenge, chosen by Emme, young mother
”GRACE” in Swahili, chosen by the neighbors
”LOVE” in Swahili, chosen by Emme, 16
”UNITY” in Swahili, chosen by Gladys, 15
”SALVATION” in Swahili, chosen by Weto, 50
* * * * * *
Roma Slum, Nanterre, France – June 2018 :
”LOVE” in Romanian, chosen by Marius, 20
”FREEDOM” in Romanian, chosen by Samir, 13
”LOVE” in English, chosen by Cristina, 11
”HEALTH” in Romanian, chosen by Dan, 25
”MARIE” (French local teacher), chosen by Armani (Marie’s pupil), 9
* * * * * *
Balata, Palestine – May 2018 :
”HUMANITY” in Arabic, chosen by Shahed, 17
”PALESTINE” in Arabic, chosen by Mohamed, 17
”DIGNITY” in Arabic, chosen by Elwa, 35
”JAFFA” in Arabic, chosen by Samar, 45
”SOUL” in English, chosen by Maryam, 16
”BRAVERY” in Arabic, chosen by Mira, 15
”FREEDOM” in Arabic, chosen by Ro’an, 14
”MY MOTHER” in Arabic, chosen by Iara, 11
”THE RIGHT OF RETURN” in Arabic, chosen by Maryam, mother
”JERUSALEM” in Arabic, chosen by Fahdi, 17
* * * * * *
Kombo, Niamey, Niger – Novembre 2017 :
”PEACE” in Fench, chosen byOmar and Ynaia
”YOUTH” in Hausa, chosen by Maimouna, 23
”WELCOME” in Fula, chosen by Ibrahim, 40
”PATIENCE” in Zerma, chosen by Koda La Cadette, 35
”HEATH” in Zerma, chosen by Moussa, 50
”UNION” in French, chosen by Moussa, 20
”STRUGGLE” in Arabic, chosen by Karim, 16
”THANK GOD” in Zerma, chosen by Yvonne, 53
* * * * * *
Kawergorsk, Iraq – May 2017 :
”FUTURE” in English, chosen by Hassen, geography teacher
”FREEDOM” in Kurmanji, chosen by Redwan, 41
”QAMISHLI” (Syrian city) in Kurmanji, chosen by Fars, 48
”KURDISTAN” in Kurmanji, chosen by Roshenk, 26
”LOVE” in English, chosen by Yafa, 40
”PEACE” in Arabic, chosen by Yasmeen, 23
”AMBITION” in English, chosen by Diyar, 19
”HOPE” in Arabic, chosen by Idriss, 40
”LIFE” in Kurmanji, chosen by Hani, 14
”PEACE” in Kurmanji, chosen by Shinda, 27
* * * * * *
Phule Nagar, Mumbai, India – January 2017 :
”TRUST” in English, chosen by Sameena, 20
”RESPECT” in English, chosen by Abdulrahman, 32
”TAMILANS” in Tamil, chosen by Surya
”SMILE” in Hindi, chosen by Arshad’s neighbors
”TOGETHER” in Hindi, chosen by Muskan, 20
”NATURE” in Maharati, chosen by Ajay, 16
”WISH” in Hindi, chosen by Arbaz, 17
”UNITY” in Maharati, chosen by Rubina, 34, leader of the slum
”HAPPINESS” in Urdu, chosen by Alt Mush, 22
* * * * * *
Mariscal Sucre, Bogotà – August 2016 :
”PEACE” in Spanish, chosen by the community
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Santo Amaro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil – June 2016 :
”UNITY” in Portuguese, chosen by the owner of the supermarket
”RESPECT” in Portuguese
”CHRIST” in Portuguese, chosen by Telma, 80
”LIFE” in Portuguese, chosen by Jose, 50
”PEACE” in Portuguese
”FREEDOM” in Portuguese, chosen by Maria
”JESUS” in Portuguese, chosen by an old man
”LOYAL” in Portuguese, chosen by Agosto, 40
”HUMBLE” in Portuguese, chosen by Felipe, young father
”SANTO AMARO” (name of the favela), chosen by gangsters
”LOVE” in Portuguese, chosen by Ditimar, 55
”FRIENDSHIP” in Portuguese, chosen by Marta, president of the favela
* * * * * *
La Jungle, Calais, France – February 2016 :
”LOVE” in English, chosen by Ugus Solomon, Erythrean migrant
”FAMILY” in English, chosen by Nugusu, migrant from Addis-Ababa (Ethiopia)
”KOBANE” (Syrian city), chosen by Ali Osman, 27
”FAITH” in English, chosen by Kaiji, migrant from Ethiopia and Erythrea
”DREAM” in English, chosen by Sali, 26, from Teheran
* * * * * *
Lideta, Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia – November 2015 :
”PEACE, LOVE, FOOTBALL”, chosen by the community
”LIDETA” (name of the neighborhood) in Amharic, chosen by the community
”ABISSINYA” in Amharic, chosen by Eyoel, 27
”BIETESEB” in Amharic, chosen by Beriha and Aberhat (young sisters)
”MERCY” in English, chosen by Hermes, 13
”HARMONY” in English, chosen by Tsion, 14
”ETHIOPIA” in Amharic, chosen by Sissai
”UNITY” in English
”COFFEE” in Amharic, chosen by Solomon, 50
”WESSEN” (name of a dead woman) in Amharic, chosen by Shaoui (Wessen’s son)
* * * * * *
Gagalangin, Manila, Philippines – May 2015 :
”FREEDOM” in English, chosen by a kid
”HONESTY” in English, chosen by Kimberley, 11
”UNITY” in English
”LOVE” in English, painted on a church
”LOVE” in English, chosen by a young kid
”UNITY” in English, chosen by Bong, 50
”FUTURE” in English
”JESUS” in English
”PEACE” in English
”JOY” in English
”HOPE” in English, chosen by Gomez, 36
”EDUCATION” in English, chosen by Rose Ann, 12
”EGYPT” in Arabic, chosen by Ashraf
”MOHAMED THE MESSENGER” in Arabic
”THE KING” in Arabic, chosen by Oma Habiba
”MASHA’ALLAH” (”What God Willed”) in Arabic, chosen by an old man
”ALLAH IS THE ONLY GOD” in Arabic
”ALLAH” in Arabic, chosen by Nasr
”ALHAMDULILLAH” (”Thanks to God”) in Arabic
”THE GENEROUS” in Arabic, chosen by Youssef’s family
”SMILE” in facial language, given by Oma Habiba
”GOD FULFILLS OUR NEEDS” in Arabic,
”THE FORGIVER” in Arabic, chosen by Youssef’s dad
”EVERYTHING BELONGS TO GOD” in Arabic
”FREEDOM” in Spanish
”HAPPINESS” in Spanish
”RESPECT” in Spanish
”ANGIE”, name of a dead young girl from the barrio
”MARISCAL SUCRE”, name of the neighborhood
”HOPE” in Spanish
”HONESTY” in Spanish, chosen by Don Pablo, chief of the barrio
”CREATE” in Spanish
”UNITY” in Spanish
”THANK YOU” in Spanish
”LOVE” in Spanish, chosen by Teresa
”ISABEL” (name of a dead girl from the barrio), chosen by Magda, Isabel’s mother
”MOON AND SUN”, given by the Sahdu and Dr Das
”HELLO” in Nepali
”HI” in Nepali,
”COMPASSION” in English
”CHANGE” in English, chosen by a kid
”THANK YOU” in Nepali, chosen by Bishal
”NEPAL”
”EVEREST” in Nepali
”LOVE” in French, chosen by Danielle from Yaounde (Cameroon)
”DREAM” in French, chosen by Tina from Yaounde (Cameroon)
”FASHION” in English, chosen by Wendy from Yaounde (Cameroon)
”EDUCATION” in English
”CRESCENT” (local area), chosen by the inhabitants
”LOVE” in English
”GRACIOUS” in English, chosen by Mama Ashy
”HOPE” in English, chosen by Grace Mutheu
”UNITY” in English, chosen by Steve, local carpenter
”MUKURU” (Name of the slum)
”KAYABA” (name of a locality in the slum) & ”ART” in English
”HUMBLE” in English
”WISDOM” in English
”MUKURU” (name of the slum), chosen by Niamay, headmaster of the school
”HARMONY” in English
”CAPSTONE” (name of the church), chosen by the pastor
”PEACE” in English
”PEACE” in English
Kali Malang (name of the river) in Javanese
Seb Toussaint 