Exclusive Nicole Farhi design for Christian Aid worn by actor and writer Ariyon Bakare
Henry Trumble
Fashion designer Nicole Farhi has teamed up with artist John Keane and international development charity Christian Aid to launch a range of limited edition clothing which will help highlight the plight of millions of children in war torn Angola.
Prints from four of Mr Keane's paintings featured in an exhibition entitled Children in Conflict are being used on three men's short sleeved shirts, a man's t-shirt, one kids t-shirt and a unisex canvas bag to be sold by Christian Aid on ebay from 10th December. Prices start from £30.
In 2006 renowned war artist John Keane was commissioned by Christian Aid to visit Angola to produce a series of work for the exhibition showing at Wolverhampton Art Gallery until February 2008. The show will tour the UK in 2008/09 and Mr Keane's work, tour details and the ebay shop can be viewed online at www.christianaid.org.uk/conflict.
Nicole Farhi said: 'I felt very strongly that I wanted to get involved with a charity that helps innocent children caught up in conflict. It was very exciting to work with John Keane, an artist of such integrity and talent.'
The Children in Conflict exhibition brings together work by high profile contemporary artists who examine the ways in which children are affected by conflict. John Keane's work, a series of large-scale paintings, highlights the issues facing millions of young people in war-torn Angola as they struggle to re-build their lives.
Karen Hedges, PR manager for Christian Aid, said: 'This is a very powerful exhibition and to have such a high profile designer helping us to highlight our vital work in Angola is fantastic. Half of the Angolan population is under the age of 16, the majority of whom live in terrible conditions. It is a country rich in resources, yet after five years of peace millions of children are still unable to access even basic education and healthcare. Christian Aid is using the work by John Keane and the involvement of Nicole Farhi as an opportunity to call on the Angolan government to commit to the UN Convention on Corruption. We want to see revenues from Angola's rich oil and diamond reserves going to the people who need it most.'
For further press information, or to arrange an interview with John, contact Karen Hedges on 020 7523 2404 or email khedges@christian-aid.org.
For further information on Nicole Farhi please contact Kim Molloy on 020 7036 7500 or email molloyk@nicolefarhi.com
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
