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    “So Far, So Close” Charity Auction for Ukraine by PEJAC

    On the 23rd of February Pejac released his latest print: So Far, So Close, dealing with the indiscriminate and senseless loss that comes with war, not knowing that the very next day Russian forces would invade Ukraine. It is a striking image that depicts an infinite circular trench embedded in a desolate landscape, as soldiers burst over the top into battle. This artwork challenges the simplistic duality with which the war is too often described, as the artist himself puts it “sometimes perceiving someone as a friend or a foe is just a matter of perspective”.Trying to offer some help in this painful situation, the artist is offering a totally unique print proof of So Far, So Close at a charity auction. All 100% of the proceeds will be given to the NGOs Voices of Children, focused on helping children who have suffered as a result of military operations to recover psychologically and psychosocially, and Acted, a French NGO that works to provide basic necessities to the population as well as helping in evacuation and crisis management training.The print itself measures 110 x 80 cm, and is the result of a painstaking multiphase production process that adds a novel feature to Pejac’s printmaking practice: the use of the monotype technique. To this one of one print proof, with the edition number #10/15, the artist has also hand-drawn in the finishing details of two plumes of blue and yellow coloured smoke, as well as different shades of acrylic and coloured pencils to different areas of the print.The auction will start on the 12th of May at 16:00 hrs (CET) and will run until the 26th of May at 16:00 hrs (CET). It will be held by the Tate Ward auction house together with the online art platform Artsy. To take part online you can use the following link. Potential buyers will need to register for an account with Artsy on their website.So Far, So Close – Artist’s Proof Print110 x 80 cm (43.3 x 31.5 inch)Single-coloured hand-pulled photopolymer on hand-coloured monotypeOkawara paper on Velin d’Arches cotton paper 300 gsmHand-finished by the artist by use of acrylic paint and pencilSigned and numbered by the artistA certificate of authenticity will be issued six months after the purchasePacked and delivered in a custom-made wooden crate featuring a laser-engraved image of one scene of the artworkSo Far, So Close – Postcard Lottery Ticket21 x 14.8 cm (8.27 x 5.83 inch)High-quality digital print in colourFinesse Premium Silk 350 gsm paper mounted on 2.25 mm grey cardboardHand-finished by the artist by use of acrylic paintSigned by the artistThe artist invites anyone who’d like to spread awareness of the fundraising to do so through his Instagram profile @Pejac_art. To say thank you for the help and support there will be a giveaway of 5 hand-painted, signed postcards from the SFSC collection.To participate, you’ll need to:-Follow the account @Pejac_art-Mention in the post those who you think might want to help, using the hashtag #pejac_ukraine-Finally, if you would like to, though it’s not mandatory, share a post or story including the artwork, with the hashtag #pejac_ukraineThe five recipients will be selected and announced on the 27th of May, the day after the auction.You can follow this link for all the terms and conditions. More

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    New Murals by C215 in support to Ukraine

    French street artist C215 have recently worked on a series of murals that serve as reminders of the human cost of the war in Ukraine.C215’s works are also testament to the talents of a man whose graffiti skills helped him overcome a traumatic youth to become one of France’s leading street artists — a one-time Banksy collaborator who has tagged walls all over the world. Real name Christian Guemy, the 49-year-old unveiled the huge new portrait of the Ukrainian girl last week in the 13th arrondissement of Paris.It carries a quote from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said to his staff when he was elected in 2019: “I really don’t want my photos in your offices, because I am neither a god nor an icon, but rather a servant of the nation. Instead, hang pictures of your children and look at them whenever you want to make a decision.”“It’s a universal message of support,” Guemy told AFP at his studio. “It challenges us to think about the ongoing humanitarian drama in Ukraine and the responsibility of politicians to do something. I can’t ignore the incursions of big politics into people’s daily lives.”Take a look below for more murals created by C215 in war-stricken places of Ukraine.A mural in Zhytomyr, an Ukrainian City near Belarus where rockets have fallen. “I did paint children faces in a building fully destroyed by Russian bombs. It has been painful but important to see the reality of the situation there” said the artist.A mural of portrait of C215’s son Gabin in Jytomyr, near Belarus, in a flat destroyed by Russian rockets. The artist worked on this thinking to himself it is in this tiny room where an Ukrainian kid had to abandon his life to escape and survive.Mural within the flats in Zhytomyr, Ukraine More