Original article: Artlyst

This November, artists from around the globe will donate their work to a fundraising art auction in aid of Arms Around The Child, a charity that provides children in Africa and India, who are directly or indirectly affected by HIV/AIDS, orphaned, abandoned or abused, with much‐needed homes, safety, education, healthcare and community.

Leading contemporary artists, including David Byrne, Rob and Nick Carter, Jamie Hewlett, Chrissy Hynde, Pure Evil, Ann-Marie James, Maxim, Zak Ove, Jamie Reid, Kristjana S Williams, Zandra Rhodes, David Shrigley, Poppy Lennox, Lauren Baker, Kay Gasei donate work to Arms Around the Child Art Action – helping children living in extreme adversity 

The pandemic-postponed event will return bigger and better, hosted on Friday, 11 November by Christie’s at their London King Street location – former Christie’s auctioneer and Contemporary Art Specialist Tom Best and online by The Auction Collective, from 12 October to 11 November 2022.  

Co-curated by Bakul Patki, Lee Sharrock and Peter Wells-Thorpe, with special guest curator Neneh Cherry, the event will raise much-needed funds to help Arms Around The Child completes a school in Senya Beraku, Ghana, and builds on the success of the charity’s previous auctions, which enabled it to make a children’s home in Jaipur, India. 

David Paul Kay will come to London from New York for an artist residency at The Mandrake Hotel. He will paint a bespoke canvas for the Arms Around the Child charity auction. David Paul Kay is a New York City-based American contemporary artist.

Originally from Eastern Europe (former Soviet Republic of Georgia), David migrated to the United States in 2008. As a self-taught artist, Kay has always experimented with various techniques. However, his career evolved soon after moving to New York City in early 2009 and developing his signature monochromatic style.

The list of exhibiting artists includes Christian Azolan, Lauren Baker, Bartholomew Beal, Mr Brainwash, Paul Broomfield, David Byrne, Rob and Nick Carter, Newton Cavalcanti, and Wayne Clough. Pete Codling, The Connor Brothers, Cecile Davidovici, Pure Evil, Jermaine Frances, William Fice, Jill Furmanovsky, Jimmy Galvin, Catalina Guirado-Cheadle, Jamie Hewlett, Chrissie Hynde, Ann-Marie James, David Paul Kay, James Lai, Andrew Logan, Joe Machine, Colin McMaster, Jemima Murphy, George Morton-Clark, MM (Art by Maxim under the moniker MM), Alexander Newley, Aidan O’Neill, Zak Ove, Giles Price, Thiago Rocha-Pitta, Jamie Reid, Zandra Rhodes, Sam Rowley, David Shrigley, Paul Stephenson, Ben Summers, Bradley Theodore, Michael Thompson, David Tucker, Johan Walstrom, Kristjana S Williams, Joy Woldfenden-Brown and Lisa Vandy. 

Guest curator Neneh Cherry says: “I grew up surrounded by creativity… 

my father was a jazz musician and my mother a multidisciplinary 

artist. Art and design have always played a huge part in my creative practice as a musician and performer. I was therefore thrilled to be invited to guest curate heART & SOUL for Arms Around The Child – a charity whose work I’ve long admired – and to be able to bring together some of my favourite artists and collaborators to help this deserving cause.”

Ellie Milner, Director Arms Around The Child, comments: “Neneh Cherry is an iconic artist, with an enduring influence on popular culture, who has brought together art and music in a unique way over a career spanning more than three decades. As such, and as a long-term supporter of the charity, we are delighted that she is joining us as guest curator.” 

The auction provides a unique opportunity to snap up work from some of the world’s most exciting upcoming talents, as well as art icons, all keen to help the charity continue and grow its essential work building a better and kinder environment for children living, through no fault of their own, in extreme adversity. 

ARMS AROUND THE CHILD:

Arms Around The Child is a global charity building a better and kinder environment for children living in extreme adversity, orphaned, abandoned, at risk of child abuse – sexual or otherwise, affected by HIV, trafficked or living in child-headed households. We seek to provide sanctuary, community, warmth, protection, education, health care, safety, family, equality, understanding, love, hope, and respect. 

With years of experience in direct care, Arms Around The Child are committed to working with ‘on the ground warriors’ through dedicated organisations to help scale up, train and implement programmes, including reintegration and development programmes to help children stay within their families and extended families providing the kind of joy, love, peace and respect that children need to lead the way to a brighter future. 

Sometimes the issues of the world or issues in our own lives seem so huge or overwhelming that we can’t bear them, or we may feel inadequate, but we can all participate in a kinder world for children because if not us, then who?

We ask you to create a powerful impact by refusing to turn your back on our human family and be determined to change the lives of others in less fortunate circumstances than ours. Could you help us to help them?

FB @AroundTheChild 

twitter @ArmsAroundTheChild 

insta @armsaroundthechild 

#armsaroundthechild