Last year, photography and art sales proved to be a huge success in raising money for those suffering the most during the pandemic. Now, a new charity print sale, Creative Seva, is putting the spotlight on India, which has faced a disastrous surge in Covid-19 cases over the past month and is struggling to gather the resources to support patients. Here, find out more about Creative Seva and the incredible photographers whose work you can buy to support India’s Covid-19 relief efforts.
After witnessing the devastation of the second wave of Covid in India, London-based fashion photographer and director Jam Patel decided to take action and find a way to help from afar. The result is Creative Seva – seva is a Hindi word that means selfless service – a charity online print sale of works by leading fashion and portrait photographers from around the world including Inez & Vinoodh, Ellen Von Unwerth, Bibi Borthwick, Paola Kudacki and Mary McCartney.
Each artist involved donated an image which will be limited to 50 prints and sold for £100 –which includes worldwide shipping – until mid-June. Profits from the sales will be split equally between three different non-profit charities that are working on the ground in India to ensure resources go where they are needed. These include Khalsa Aid, which is working to distribute oxygen concentrators in Delhi, Hemkunt Foundation, which is distributing oxygen cylinders around Delhi NCR, and Feeding From Far, which is working with NGO Prayatna to distribute food in Mumbai to those severely affected by the pandemic.
The prints available are an impressive selection that can simultaneously brighten up your walls and help an important cause. Subjects and styles vary immensely — there’s German fashion photographer Ellen Von Unwerth’s punky 2018 portrait of Miley Cyrus at Electric Lady Studio alongside iconic documentary photographer Steve McCurry’s moving image of young monks running in the courtyard of Lingdum Monastery in India.
Print options aren’t limited to portrait photographs. Artist Anthony Turner has offered two surrealist sketches, while New York-based photographer Billy Kidd has supplied a painting-like print of a flower. There are a number of editorial-style photographs, too, including famed fashion duo Inez & Vinoodh’s 2018 portrait ‘Angok and the Rose’ and a conceptual portrait by Rankin from his biannual fashion and lifestyle magazine HUNGER.
Each image is limited to 50 prints, available to buy now for £100 until 20 June.
100% of proceeds donated to Khalsa Aid, Hemkunt Foundation & Feeding From Far.
