The largest work painted on canvas in the world sets a record of noble aims
Video .. The owner of the painting of 227 million dirhams in Dubai: I lived with hunger in my childhood
Collector Andre Abdoun and artist Sasha Jefri during an auction in Dubai.
Photography: Mustafa Qasimi
The owner of the painting "The Journey of Humanity", the French businessman, André Abdoun, confirmed that he was keen to acquire the work for a purely humanitarian purpose, revealing to "Emirates Today", after obtaining the painting, which amounted to 227 million 757 thousand dirhams (62 million dollars), during an auction He organized in Dubai, the day before yesterday, that he “suffered in his childhood and knew completely the meaning of hunger and a difficult childhood, but he was rich in the love of his family,” as he put it.
Andre Abdoun: - "I have always dreamed of providing something special for the children of the world ... and this initiative gives hope to children with a decent life." Sasha Jefri: - "I am proud of what I have accomplished ... and the amount will change the lives of thousands of children, and the message will reach many." - 17 thousand square feet of plate area, registered in the Guinness Book of Records. - 20 hours a day, over a period of seven months, the British artist worked on his painting until he completed it. |
The painting, executed by British artist Sasha Jefri, as part of his initiative entitled: "Inspirational Humanity", succeeded in becoming the second most expensive painting sold at auction by a living artist.
The artist painted the painting in "Atlantis Resort" during the "Corona" crisis, with the aim of selling it at a charity auction to support children most affected by the effects of the pandemic, in cooperation with "Dubai Cares" and "UNESCO", and Sasha worked on it for seven months at a rate of 20 hours a day. .
And the division of the largest work in the world, which reached an estimated 17 thousand square feet, registered in the "Guinness Book" of Records, as the largest painting on canvas in the world, to 70 works sold at auction as a single piece.
An inspiring initiative
The owners of the painting thanked His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who is always keen to help children, adding: “The UAE is paving the way for us that we can take, and this achievement is just a step. The first in the framework of an inspiring humanitarian initiative ».
After the painting was acquired, Abdoun said to Emirates Today: “I have always dreamed of presenting something special to children in the world, and after I talked with the artist Sasha, I touched the extent of his love for this painting and the effort he devoted to its implementation. My goal in life was always to help children. The meaning of hunger and difficult childhood when I was young, but I was rich because I have the love of my family. ”
He added, "I met Sasha in Paris and saw his work in a gallery. Then we met in Dubai by chance through a friend who brings us together, and he told me about the painting and I felt the effort that he put into the work and the initiative as a whole."
He explained that “after he became able to earn a living and provide something to society, these actions are seen as necessary and everyone should think about them, because these initiatives may make a difference,” considering that the humanitarian initiative gives hope to children with a decent life and guarantees them A better future.
He revealed that he does not own works of art, and this is the first time that he has bought a work of art, but his goal was purely humanitarian.
'The Journey of Humanity'
The painting "Humanity Journey" is part of Sasha Jefri's charitable initiative "Inspired Humanity", which was launched in 2020 during the "Covid-19" pandemic, under the patronage of Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, in partnership with "Dubai Cares" and the resort Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai.
The artist described this moment after selling the painting for this record amount, during an auction in the resort of Atlantis, as "the most important and most prominent in his life."
He told «Emirates Today»: «I do not know if I was really the only artist alive whose work achieved this price, but I am certainly one of these artists, and this makes me happy and proud, and in fact the number was not expected for me, but it confirms the message of humanity that She aimed at the painting, because the amount will change the lives of thousands of children, and the message will reach many. ”
And he considered that this initiative is only the beginning of a series of initiatives aimed at supporting children, and that the work confirms the power of art and the power of giving and communicating with humanity. All these values have emerged through the number achieved by the auction, stressing that it continues to provide initiatives in the region, especially In the Middle East, where there is a large number of refugees who need support.
He added that his initiative aims to contribute to "rebuilding the shattered planet through the hearts, minds and souls of the world's children."
For his part, CEO of Dubai Cares, a member of its Board of Directors, Dr. Tariq Mohammed Al Gurg, said: “We are proud of the achievement of the painting. The painter Sasha’s initiative is a clear testimony and a vivid example of the strength of cooperation between people, and it will always remind us of the impressive results that we can achieve. If the efforts were united within a common vision to create a better world ».
It is noteworthy that "Dubai Cares" will allocate the funds raised during the auction to the partners of the "Inspiring Humanitarian" initiative, including "UNICEF", "UNESCO", "Global Gift" and "Dubai Cares", to support a range of programs aimed at addressing issues. Related to children, such as their access to communication, learning, health care and sanitation facilities.
Apparel and equipment
In addition to the giant painting and a number of paintings, the clothes of the artist Sasha Jefri, which he worked with on the painting, were sold during the Atlantis resort auction, along with a set of paintbrushes, which numbered up to 40 brushes, achieving record numbers, as the clothes sold for 140 thousand dollars, And a set of brushes for 120 thousand dollars.
"It is a very emotional thing, but I gave up one of my sets that I wore during the painting, which was a total of six sets, because the goal was humanitarian for the sake of the initiative," Sasha Jefri told Emirates Today.
Follow our latest local and sports news, and the latest political and economic developments via Google news