Hala Badri, the Director General of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, has said “The Journey of Humanity,” the painting that broke the Guinness World Record for the largest art canvas in the world, embodies the sprit of Dubai in its creative and human aspects. Badri went to the Palm’s ballroom at Atlantis, where the painting was created, to personally see the oil painting by British artist Sacha Jafri and said the similarity is in the goal to unite the world in one place, construct bridges between cultures and adhere to changes that benefit humanity.
“Our support for this work at Dubai Culture is in line with our commitment to strengthening the emirate’s position as a leading global centre for all cultural and creative events and activities as well as in line with the goals of the Authority’s ambitious six-year strategic roadmap to support, celebrate and inspire creative talent on their path towards excellence and giving,” Badri said.
The Director General signalled her visit falls within the framework of Dubai Culture’s keenness to support valuable cultural and creative efforts of all kinds. Badri hailed the humanity that is instilled in the painting and the noble goal behind its execution, and she also emphasised the positive impact that such initiatives play in supplementing and disseminating culture among members of society to motivate and inspire creative people.
Jafri, a Dubai-based humanitarian, arts icons and one of the most prominent contemporary artists, completed the brightly hued painting as part of his Humanity Inspired charitable initiative and together they have been described as the largest worldwide social, artistic and philanthropic plan in history. Unveiled in February, “The Journey of Humanity,” aims to achieve positive change in the lives of children who are underprivileged and the most affected by COVID-19 in the poorest regions of the world.
The monumental painting has been broken down into numbered, signed, catalogued and framed canvases. And 70 individually framed pieces will be sold across several auctions in 2021, with the funds being raised for charitable initiatives in the sectors of healthcare, sanitation, education and connectivity. This is being done in partnership with Dubai Cares, UNICEF, UNESCO, The Global Gift Foundation, UNHCR and the UAE government. Roughly 17,000 square feet, “The Journey of Humanity” painting took seven months to complete, with 20-hour workdays. While using 1,065 brushes and 6,300 litres of paint, Jafri also included artwork electronically submitted by children from over 140 countries.
