More than 20 works of art created by children living in extreme poverty in Mumbai, will go on sale on October 12 as part of “Beauty Without Boundaries 2020,” an inaugural online auction sponsored by Artrepreneur, an online membership platform for all visual artists and creatives, the Aseema Charitable Trust in India and Friends of Aseema, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to helping Aseema.
The child artists range in age from 10 to 17. The collection includes watercolor landscapes, pen-and-ink drawings, mixed media and an assortment of brush paintings. Some of this art was created by the children during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The auction will continue for 14 days from October 12 to 25. Bidding for the artworks will begin at tiers of $300, $400 and $500. A preview of the works is available at Aseema / Friends of Aseema Art Auction by Artrepreneur.
Numerous high-level professionals, celebrities and business icons will each donate a 15-minute online conversation with the highest bidders. A sample of those confirmed includes:
- Aamir Khan, award-winning Actor, Director and Producer;
- Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Actor, Producer, Activist;
- Nick Jonas, Golden Globe and Grammy-nominated Singer, Songwriter, Actor and Producer;
- Danny Boyle, Academy Award-winning director of films such as Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days, Yesterday and Trainspotting;
- Joanne Rogers, wife of the late children’s television personality Fred Rogers;
- Dr. Shashi Tharoor, former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, longstanding Indian M.P., acclaimed writer and Oxford scholar;
- Nitin Rakesh, CEO of Mphasis, an IT services firm headquartered in Bangalore, with $1.1 billion in 2020 revenues;
- Dr. Jerry Wind, an emeritus marketing profession at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania;
- Vanessa German, award-winning multimedia performance artist, sculptor and poet; and Colonel Terry Virts, astronaut and former Commander of the International Space Station;
- Anjolie Ela Menon, India’s leading contemporary artist; and Karambir Kang, Area Director, USA Taj/Indian Hotels (IHCL)
For those who are not able to participate in the auction but are interested in purchasing limited-edition prints of the originals, please go to the Aseema / Friends of Aseema Showroom on Artrepreneur: Aseema / Friends of Aseema Artrepreneur Showroom.
The creative works were made under the guidance of Aseema, which operates three municipal schools in Mumbai and a school built by Aseema in a remote tribal region. Aseema means “limitless” in Sanskrit and reflects a belief in every child’s limitless potential.
Aseema provides secular, high-quality education and medical care to India’s poorest. The auction represents a collaboration between Aseema and Friends of Aseema to raise funds for these children. COVID-19 has increased the needs of the children and their families who have spent months in lockdown, necessitating food distributions for the benefit of more than 9,900 individuals.
The artwork of children in India will bring a new level of physical and spiritual healing by providing relief for indigent families. All proceeds from the auction will be used to support the Aseema Charitable Trust in providing high-quality, secular education and medical care to extremely indigent children in India.
“We are delighted to be able to bring the depth and technology of Artrepreneur to support such a worthy cause. COVID-19 has generated more pressing needs around the world but especially for the poorest among us. Artrepreneur holds the belief that every artist – no matter how young or old – can achieve success when they have access to the right resources,” says Grace Cho, Founder and CEO of Artrepreneur.
“We are so grateful to Artrepreneur for supporting our efforts with this auction,” says Dilbur Parakh, Aseema’s Chairperson and Co-Founder. “You can sustain this endeavor by participating in this auction.”
“A global coming-together around this beautiful children’s art is an opportunity for tangible assistance to these indigent children and for the spiritual betterment of all of us,” says Christine Biancheria, President of Friends of Aseema, an all-volunteer organization.