< Previous80 ARTICLES PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST One of the most successful contemporary artists of his generation occupies a space where paint meets spirituality, his work the result, he says, of working in a trance-like state that taps into the collective energy of the human race. But there’s nothing esoteric about his latest vision, an ambitious philanthropic project that seeks to raise millions for disadvantaged children through the auction of the world’s largest ever painting on canvas. words and fashion direction jola chudy photography pyong sumaria photography assistant jufer reserva with thanks to atlantis, the palm, dubai 080-097_TRME_056_COVERSTORY_SACHA JAFRI_11318589.indd 8008/07/2020 04:27:07 PM81 ARTICLES Sacha Jafri wears a white linen pinstripe suit by Brunello Cucinelli; T-shirt and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watch his own. 080-097_TRME_056_COVERSTORY_SACHA JAFRI_11318589.indd 8108/07/2020 04:27:13 PM82 ARTICLES It is said that a man’s character can be discerned through how he speaks to those around him and when it comes to the artist Sacha Jafri, there is certainly no scarcity of evidence in this respect. Supercharged in his eloquence and with a lightning-rod willingness to connect meaningfully with those who cross his path, Jafri’s easygoing conversational largesse is a hallmark of a man who brings a profound respect for the value of humanity into the core and centre of everything he does. And whether he is planning social media videos with his production team or galvanizing his celebrity friends to deflect a little of their starlight onto one of the myriad causes he champions – Global Gift Foundation, UNICEF, UNHCR, UNESCO and Dubai Cares – Jafri draws those around him into thoughtful conversations with ease. As The Rake steps gingerly onto the world’s largest canvas at Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai, Jafri introduces his latest philanthropic project in between chatting with the man carefully cleaning acrylic paint off his sneakers, his photography team, the Atlantis public relations manager and a full-throttle Zoom with a world-renowned opera singer. “The idea is to connect the world through children and to connect with 100 million children around the world, working with the ministries of education in various countries to have their artworks submitted via humanity-inspired.com,” says Jafri, leading The Rake barefoot around the perimeter of the artwork unfurling across two football pitches-worth of white canvas. “Within the painting there will be eight glazed and varnished ‘portals’, round windows that will be filled with children’s artworks that have been sent from schools around the world.” Dressed in paint-spattered clothes with an assortment of colourful plastic and stone beads swinging from his neck, he is the embodiment of a bohemian, stylish artist, except for the rare Richard Mille watch with a skull design - just one of four ever created - on his wrist, one of several pieces in his prized collection, a piece that alludes to his towering commercial success. His personal style, as well as his high profile in the art world has seen him attract the attentions of various luxury brands, but of course his day-to-day attire reflects the physical, rather messy business of making meaningful art. And meaning is crucial to Jafri, not just in his work, but in his reason for producing it in the first place. With this particular canvas, he aims to highlight several issues relating to the state of humanity as well as offering tangible assistance to the less fortunate. The painting, he says, represents the energy of the earth, the story of humankind and the creation of the universe. “I feel like we have become disconnected from the soul of the earth and we are moving too fast. Without this connection, humanity lacks a certain light. At the beginning of the canvas are these ‘roots’ coming out of the soul of the earth, reaching out with the energy of the beauty of creation and forming the elements of nature – mountains, rivers, lakes, trees and oceans.” The movement-filled brush strokes and energetic, semi- abstract elements are slowly beginning to cover the canvas, with thick layers of paint swirled, spattered and launched all over its surface in a mesmerising dance. “The next stage above the roots symbolises the love and nurturing of a mother and the guidance and protection of a father. The most important thing in the world is to make a child feel safe, loved and brave. If they feel that, they can grow wings, change the world and do amazing things. Sadly, I think many children in the world don’t feel all these things. Bravery comes from education and a lot of the world is not educated. I want to show what a child who is safe, loved and brave can do and how they can soar. The next stage is child soaring into the solar system, to remind us of our place in the universe and that we should be humble. Once we realise how small we are, we can tap into something greater than ourselves.” Jafri has spoken frequently about his unique painting method, where he will take time to stare intently at a blank canvas before painting entirely from memory and the subconscious, often for long hours at a time without stopping for food or water, ‘tapping into’ something greater than himself and acting as a kind of conduit for a univeral creative energy. The subject matter for the painting therefore, seems very apt and its greater goal - to raise money to help severely disadvantaged children and their communities, a noble one. “The whole idea of the project is connectivity; the poorest children in the world from the townships and refugee camps Dressed in paint-spattered clothes with an assortment of colourful plastic and stone beads swinging from his neck he is the embodiment of a bohemian, stylish artist. 080-097_TRME_056_COVERSTORY_SACHA JAFRI_11318589.indd 8208/07/2020 04:25:45 PM83 ARTICLES Sacha Jafri wears a pinstriped white linen suit by Brunello Cucinelli; t-shirt his own. 080-097_TRME_056_COVERSTORY_SACHA JAFRI_11318589.indd 8308/07/2020 11:26:40 AM84 ARTICLES 080-097_TRME_056_COVERSTORY_SACHA JAFRI_11318589.indd 8408/07/2020 11:26:47 AM85 ARTICLES Opposite page: Sacha Jafri wears an evening suit jacket by Brunello Cucinelli and a Richard Mille limited edition skull watch. Shirt and sneakers, his own. 080-097_TRME_056_COVERSTORY_SACHA JAFRI_11318589.indd 8508/07/2020 11:26:54 AM86 ARTICLES Sacha Jafri wears a Scritto suede leather coat in cobalt blue and graphic printed shirt, both by Berluti. Navy blue evening trousers by Brunello Cucinelli; black leather ankle boots by Santoni. 080-097_TRME_056_COVERSTORY_SACHA JAFRI_11318589.indd 8608/07/2020 04:25:53 PM87 ARTICLES and slums have sent artworks in and the money from the sale of the painting will go to a consortium of charity partners and a fund that will put the Internet in all these very deprived parts of the world. We are building 5,000 schools, clean water and medical centres, and providing computers so these children connect with the rest of the world, tell the world about their existence and change their lives.” Making connections Philanthropy through art is not a new facet of Jafri’s work; indeed it has played a central role throughout his 25-year painting career. He is undoubtedly one of the most successful artists of his time, but he also refers to himself frequently as a philanthropist. Both terms can be equally bestowed on a man who has raised more than $60 million throughout his career. In addition to his prodigious talent, Jafri’s flair for networking and connecting has helped his works to become coveted by presidents, film stars, oligarchs and captains of industry. Connection is at the heart of a lifetime’s worth of artistic work, retrospectives and awards; his ability to seek it out and harness it, entrenched in his colourful, bohemian upbringing. Growing up in the United Kingdom, Jafri attended Eton College at the same time as Prince William; his own family has a royal pedigree too, his great-great-grandfather was an Indian maharaja who helped to found Pakistan. His father was the first Muslim ambassador in the Vatican but despite the noble achievements and high-society connections, Jafri’s own upbringing was relatively modest and he credits it for his ability to connect with people from all walks of life. If connection is a recurring theme in his life and work, it’s certainly also evident in his network of influential and powerful contacts and indeed, it was a connection with Atlantis Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Tim Kelly, that led to the artist, temporarily marooned in Dubai during Covid-19, to decamp to the Atlantis for this unusual and ground-breaking project. “I initially had the option of creating this artwork inside an Emirates Airline hanger, which would have been quite cool, but when I told Tim about it, he loved the idea and said that Atlantis would love to support the project as they are very much about bringing families and children together.” “Atlantis is proud to be one of the world’s leading family destinations, so we were thrilled to support a project that will not only help to unite and strengthen society at a time when we need it most, but which will also capture the imaginations of children and their families across the globe,” Kelly said in a statement introducing the project to the media. “This initiative, which aligns itself with our ongoing corporate social responsibility efforts, will achieve many milestones while raising much-needed funds for vital areas and key services, as well as bringing a little cheer into the lives of so many.” Going viral While mid-Spring 2020 looks set to distinguish itself in collective memory primarily for being the period during which the entire planet shut up shop thanks to a pesky novel virus called Corona, for Jafri, it has been the perfect time to undertake one of his most ambitious artistic and philanthropic projects to date. With the majestic Atlantis ballroom, like most travel and leisure destinations around the world, devoid of bookings thanks to the Covid-19 lockdown, Jafri has taken up a 12-week residence, transforming the huge aquatic-themed space into an artist’s studio. A protective layer of black felt covers the colourful plush beneath, and the canvas, around the size of two football pitches, stretches corner to corner. At one end, in front of a temporary scaffolding and piles of brushes and paint tins, whorls, circles and splashes of acrylic paint coil outwards. There are piles and piles of drawings by children from all over the UAE and the rest of the world, which will be worked into the canvas, amongst them some by Jafri’s own four-year-old daughter, Indie. When completed, the painting will be divided into 60 pieces with each auctioned for the various charities that Jafri supports; in creating the work he also hopes to beat several world records including one for the largest canvas ever painted. When completed, the painting will be divided into 60 pieces with each auctioned for the various charities that Jafri supports; in creating the work he also hopes to beat up to fi ve world records. 080-097_TRME_056_COVERSTORY_SACHA JAFRI_11318589.indd 8708/07/2020 04:26:04 PM88 ARTICLES Sacha Jafri wears a green leather jacket by Berluti and a printed scarab beetle t-shirt by Paul Smith. Sneakers by Santoni; jeans are his own. “If you create a work of art that connects to someone’s soul, then you are part of the fabric of the earth’s soul forever and you leave a legacy of something beautiful.” 080-097_TRME_056_COVERSTORY_SACHA JAFRI_11318589.indd 8808/07/2020 11:27:20 AM89 ARTICLES 080-097_TRME_056_COVERSTORY_SACHA JAFRI_11318589.indd 8908/07/2020 11:27:29 AMNext >