Originally from Sousse, Tunisia, Ahmed first discovered the stage through dance. In 2007, he left his home country for Belgium to study acting and directing at the Institut des Arts de Diffusion. Guided by a desire to build worlds, he forged a distinctive scenic language with his first creation, ALICE, and founded Collectif Illicium, with which he went on to create Rigor Mortis, a dialogue between flesh and the unseen.

Returning to dance, he co-created Lilith with French choreographer Marion Blondeau, followed by …And Nobody Else, a duet between dancer Hamza Damra and musician Tim Clijsters that explores the multiplicity of identities and the roles we inhabit.

His latest work, ماحلى خيالك [Beautiful Shadows], delves into the landscapes of his childhood home, tracing the ghosts and silences that inhabit its walls.

Behind the camera, Ahmed translates music into imagery, giving sound a visual soul. He has directed music videos for leading North African artists, including Ain Essouda for Ammar 808, Dawri for Ghoula, Footsteps for Emel Mathlouthi, Allah by Night for Mettani, and Soutbouk and Dima Maak for Jawhar.

Between shadow and movement, Ahmed Ayed continues his search for a total art, where every gesture becomes a poem, and every silence, a horizon.