“Beauty Without Boundaries 2020” features art created by covid hit destitute Children in India.
Priyanka Chopra, first South Asian actress to win a People’s Choice Award for American thriller series Quantico, and her American singer husband Nick Jonas have pledged their support for “Beauty Without Boundaries 2020.”
Noted Bollywood actor Aamir Khan has also committed to support the charitable online art auction from Oct. 12 to Oct. 25 to raise funds for India’s poor children and their families affected by covid-19, according to a media release.
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. Aseema means “limitless” in Sanskrit and reflects a belief in every child’s limitless potential.
The auction has been 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.
More than 20 works of art created by children living in extreme poverty in Mumbai, India, a city that accounts for 25 percent of India’s deaths from coronavirus, will go on sale on Oct. 12 as part of an inaugural online auction.
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 release said.
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 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.
The artwork of children in India will bring a new level of physical and spiritual healing by providing relief for indigent families.
“We are delighted to be able to bring the depth and technology of Artrepreneur to support such a worthy cause,” said Grace Cho, Founder and CEO of Artrepreneur.
“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,” she said.
“We are so grateful to Artrepreneur for supporting our efforts with this auction,” said 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,” said Christine Biancheria, President of Friends of Aseema, an all-volunteer organization.
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.
Those who have confirmed include: Priyanka Chopra; Nick Jonas, Aamir Khan, Academy Award-winning director Danny Boyle; Shashi Tharoor, Indian parliamentarian; Nitin Rakesh, CEO of Mphasis; Navin Valrani, CEO of Arcadia Schools and Vice Chairman of Al Shirawi Group; Col. 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.