Sacha Jafri’s “Journey of Humanity” raises $ 62 million at the charity auction in Dubai

Sacha Jafri’s “Journey of Humanity” raises $ 62 million at the charity auction in Dubai

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Written by Oscar Holland, CNN

The largest painting on canvas in the world was sold at an auction in Dubai for almost 228 million dirhams ($ 62 million), placing it among the most expensive works of art that have ever been destroyed.

Measuring over 17,000 square feet, “The Journey of Humanity” is roughly equivalent in size to four NBA-regulated basketball courts.

The work was created by British painter Sacha Jafri with the aim of raising money for children affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

After dividing the work into 70 parts, Jafri initially intended to sell the panels separately in the hope of earning a total of $ 30 million. But at a charity auction on Monday, Dubai businessman Andre Abdoune offered more than twice as much to buy them all.

Jafri depicted with a section of

Jafri depicted with a “Humanity’s Journey” section at the Atlantis The Palm hotel in Dubai. Credit: CNN

The sale places Jafri’s name among the most expensive living artists in the world. The $ 62 million raised by “The Journey of Humanity” was only defeated at auction by the works of Jeff Koons, David Hockney and digital artist Beeple, whose NFT image “Everydays: The First 5000 Days” was sold by Christie’s for more than $ 69 million earlier this month.

As part of Jafri’s Humanity Inspired initiative, proceeds from the auction will be donated to UNICEF, UNESCO, The Global Gift Foundation and Dubai Cares for programs related to early childhood education, health, sanitation and digital connectivity. In a press release issued by Dubai Cares, Jafri described the sale as “a moment for humanity”.

“At the beginning of my ‘Inspired by Humanity’ initiative, I had the vision to reconnect our broken planet through the hearts, minds and souls of the world’s children,” he said. “I feel in my heart that we are one step closer to achieving this tonight, thanks to Andre.”

Achievement record

The artwork holds the Guinness World Record for the largest art canvas in the world. It was created in a ballroom at the Atlantis The Palm hotel in Dubai, where Jafri was based when the United Arab Emirates introduced blocking measures to control the spread of Covid-19 last year.
“I was stuck in Dubai and wanted to create something moving, something that meant something,” he told CNN last year, before finishing the art. “Something that can potentially make a big difference.”

Related video: Sacha Jafri speaks to CNN about the completion of the painting last year.

Taking seven months to complete, the painting features abstract brushstrokes and drop-by-drop painting in a style that Jafri calls “magical realism”. The screen was divided into four connected segments, with the first representing “the soul of the Earth” and the others alluding to nature, humanity and the universe in general, said Jafri.

The painter, who was educated at the elite British boarding school Eton alongside Prince William, also asked children around the world to contribute their own works of art centered on the themes of connection, separation and isolation during the pandemic. The submissions were printed on paper and incorporated into the huge screen.

“I asked children all over the world to send in their works of art – how they feel now, their emotions,” he explained last year. “We, as adults, are finding this difficult. We find the last five months very difficult, very confusing, very frustrating and quite frightening. But imagine how a 4-year-old feels.”

Sacha Jafri voiced his painting style

Sacha Jafri dubbed his painting style “magical realism”. Credit: CNN

Abdoune, the new owner of the artwork, said in a press release that the “investment and love” that Jafri put into the painting was “so incredible”.

“My whole life has been about helping children,” he said. “When I was a kid, I had nothing to eat. Now I have something to eat. We all have to do something.”

Parts of the art will be shown in the retrospective of Jafri’s career, which is currently on display at the Leila Heller Gallery in Dubai.

Top image: Sacha Jafri at the opening of his exhibition at the Leila Heller Gallery in Dubai in February 2021.

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