: Jafri’s first-of-its kind creation, ‘The World’s Largest Painting to have ever been Created on Canvas’, is in partnership with Guinness World Records to set their official record for ‘The Largest Art Canvas’ in the World.
With the support of The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), together with The Global Gift Foundation, Atlantis – The Palm, Dubai Cares, and the UAE Government, artist and philanthropist Sacha Jafri is embarking on a global initiative entitled ‘Humanity Inspired.
The charitable initiative that aims to raise more than US$ 30 million to connect with 1 billion people worldwide is imbued by Sacha’s vision to connect people post the COVID-19 pandemic in order to tackle the devastating impact of the virus on children and youth. The project will bring the internet to the most remote and poorest regions of the world, the most in-need communities all further decimated by the COVID 19 Pandemic. The project will set up progressive and more affective sustainable Education & Health hubs, all equipped with the internet for further on-line platform learning, medical supplies, health care, inoculations, vaccines, and sanitation, within the poorest and most desperate communities of the world, including refugee camps, favelas, townships, and slums, aiming to save 10million child-lives within all four corners of the globe, bring education, healthcare and opportunities to those that have previously had neither, with the goal of giving those that need it most a very real opportunity to change the world around them.
This first-of-its-kind project is now endorsed by more than 100 powerful public figures from across the globe, including: Virat Kohli, Eva Longoria, Deepak Chopra, Brooklyn Beckham, Holly Branson, David Walliams, Kylian Mbappe, Huda Kattan, Nile Rodgers, Lara Fabian etc.
All 100 have joined Sacha remotely in lockdown by sending powerful messages of support – while encouraging the rest of the world to get involved.
Collectively embarking on a journey to scale up digital connectivity to ensure minimal disruption to education and provide equitable access to remote learning for all, the ‘Humanity Inspired’ initiative is under the Royal Patronage of HE Sheikh Nahayan Al Nahayan with the additional backing of various entities of the UAE Government & Public Sector including: UAE Ministry of Education, UAE Ministry of Tolerance & Coexistence, and the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).
Jafri’s Project: ‘Humanity Inspired’
With a tagline of ‘Let’s Paint the World a Different Colour,’ and centred around the themes of ‘Isolation’ and ‘Connection’, Jafri’s Humanity Inspired initiative was driven by his belief in a window of opportunity for change during the COVID-19 pandemic. This initiative memorialises what isolation and connection mean in the eyes of a child amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Jafri’s initiative aims to engage with tens of millions of children (from over 140 Countries of the World), by inviting them to submit their Artwork via www.Humanity-Inspired.com.
Inspired by the emotions and expressions of these children, Jafri will incorporate their ‘artworks’ into the first layer of his canvas (the soul), within huge circular portals which will serve as windows to portray a better future from a child’s perspective – ‘Windows to a Better World.’
Jafri’s Record-Breaking Painting, described as ‘The Modern-Day Sistine Chapel,’ will be the largest worldwide social, artistic and philanthropic initiative in history. Creating the work in Atlantis, The Palm’s ballroom – having converted it into the largest Artist’s Studio in the World – over a period of 24 weeks (March-Sept), Jafri’s creation is due to be completed by September 10th 2020.
Jafri’s finished painting (at just under 2000 Square Meters and the size of 2x Football Pitches end-to-end) will be unveiled to the world at Atlantis, The Palm in November 2020. It will then be projected onto the UAE’s most iconic landmarks, and housed in the world’s leading museums. After touring, ‘The Journey of Humanity’ will be broken down into 60 individually numbered, signed, catalogued, and framed canvases which will be auctioned and sold during a Royal Gala Dinner & Charity Auction in December 2020, in collaboration with The Global Gift Foundation, UNICEF, UNESCO and Dubai Cares, at Atlantis, The Palm (Dubai – UAE). The auction will additionally welcome buyers from across the world via live streaming to more than 140 countries. Each successful bidder will own a piece of the largest painting ever created on canvas, and more significantly, a piece of history. The value of each of these individual canvases is said to become exponential, to both an investor of art, a global-philanthropist and supporter of charitable causes, as well as to ALL Humanity.
Addressing his impetus for the ambitious initiative, Sacha Jafri said: “After a conversation with UNICEF earlier in the year, my eyes were opened to the fact that an estimated 385 million children live in extreme poverty around the world and these children are twice as likely to die in childhood. These numbers have almost doubled in the last four months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This pandemic has affected every community across the globe and taken the lives of thousands, but it has also changed our mindset, and this means we have a window of opportunity for change.
My initiative, ‘Humanity Inspired’ aims to be a catalyst for true societal change through the HEARTS, MINDS & SOULS of the children of the world – a springboard for a better future for ALL Humanity. I aim to connect the world, and re-connect Humanity to ourselves, each other, and ultimately ‘The Soul of the Earth’. My Painting, ‘The Journey of Humanity’ will support the delivery of improved education, healthcare and connectivity, as well as create vital funds in support of the poorest and most desperately in need areas and regions of our planet. I hope that my ground-breaking creation will help to further advocate global logistical support for Health and Sanitation within the worst hit refugee camps, slums, town-Ships, shanties, favelas and poverty-stricken communities of the world. I thank Dubai Cares and Atlantis, The Palm for making my dream come true.”
Talal Omar, Director – MENA at Guinness World Records said: “We are delighted to work with Sacha Jafri in support of his truly inspired project and record-breaking painting ‘The Journey of Humanity’. We are equally delighted to be working with Dubai Cares, and Atlantis The Palm alongside ‘Humanity Inspired’ partners involved in this world record attempt, because supporting the community is at the heart of what we do. There are many challenges facing children across the world today. We are truly honoured to be part of this initiative, and with this spirit of philanthropy comes a responsibility to get the message across. We are here to support this initiative and promote the efforts of those who are involved. We are delighted to give them a chance to become Officially Amazing.”
Speaking about the significance of this charitable initiative, His Excellency Dr Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer of HH Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum’s Dubai Cares and Member of its Board of Directors said: “The COVID-19 pandemic forced 192 countries to close down schools and universities, affecting more than 1.5 billion school-aged children and youth, which represent around 90 per cent of the world’s student population. More than 60 million teachers were also no longer in the classroom. I am confident that this inspirational initiative will help us tackle the impact of this pandemic on education by promoting access to connectivity and equipping children and youth globally with the digital resources they need to pursue their education.”
