This October, Paul McCartney, War Child UK, and AOAP Projects invite 61 artists to respond to a lyric from his track Band on the Run, in aid of War Child, for the third edition of Sound & Vision. An innovative fundraising initiative, Sound & Vision is an exhibition and auction pairing music and art to raise vital funds for War Child’s work providing specialist mental health support, education, protection, and immediate aid to children whose lives have been devastated by war.
For the third edition of Sound & Vision, legendary musician, Paul McCartney takes centre stage, selecting the lyric that will inspire a collection of original artworks by some of the most exciting names in contemporary art.
Chosen by Paul himself, the line this year is, “Well, the rain exploded with a mighty crash as we fell into the sun” from Band on the Run, the title track from the 1973 album by Paul McCartney and Wings. The evocative lyric will provide the starting point for 61 contemporary artists, each creating an original work in response. The resulting collection will be exhibited at Iconic Images Gallery before being auctioned online to raise money for children affected by war.
Artists taking part include Genieve Figgis, one of the most distinctive and internationally recognised painters of her generation. Figgis’s exuberant, distorted reinterpretations of European art history have earned her a major international following, with her work held in prominent public and private collections around the world. She is currently the subject of a solo exhibition, Drama Club, at Almine Rech in Monte Carlo, adding to a growing international exhibition history that has established Figgis as one of the defining voices in contemporary painting.
Also contributing is Alvaro Barrington, whose multidisciplinary practice spans painting, sculpture, textiles, installation and performance. In 2026, Barrington is presenting work as part of the 61st Venice Biennale and has also created a site-specific commission for the Sonsbeek Biennial in the Netherlands. His work has been exhibited at major institutions internationally, and his distinctive visual language has made him one of the most exciting artists of his generation.
Joshua Donkor is a British Ghanaian artist whose richly layered figurative paintings explore identity, ancestry, memory and the complexities of contemporary Black experience. Working between personal histories and wider diasporic narratives, Donkor has rapidly established himself as one of the most compelling young painters working in Britain today. His current exhibition, Familial Traces, with Lela Harris, is on view at Abbot Hall / Lakeland Arts in Cumbria, alongside an expanding programme of exhibitions in the UK and internationally.
Sanya Kantarovsky, born in Moscow and now based in New York, brings an internationally established voice to the exhibition. His paintings, sculptures and installations combine dark humour, psychological intensity and an often-surreal examination of human relationships. In 2026, Kantarovsky is presenting a solo exhibition, Basic Failure, at Palazzo Loredan in Venice, alongside work in the group exhibition Don’t have hope, be hope! at Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo. He has exhibited extensively at leading museums and galleries around the world, including major institutional exhibitions in Europe and the United States.
Aleah Chapin, winner of the prestigious National Portrait Gallery Portrait Award, is known for her striking figurative paintings that challenge conventional representations of the body, intimacy and ageing. Born in Washington State and based in Los Angeles, Chapin has built an international reputation for paintings that are both unapologetically physical and deeply human, with her work held in major collections throughout the world.
The exhibition also features Anne Rothenstein, one of Britain’s most respected contemporary painters and a former Royal Academician. Rothenstein is known for her intimate, psychologically charged portraits and interiors, with her work held in major British collections including the Tate and the National Portrait Gallery.
George Underwood brings an especially rich cultural history to the line-up. A lifelong artist and illustrator, Underwood is perhaps best known for his extraordinary creative relationship with David Bowie, whom he knew from childhood and for whom he created several iconic album covers, including Hunky Dory and The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. George supported the inaugural Sound & Vision, inspired by Bowie in 2024. Alongside his work in music, Underwood has maintained a substantial career as a painter, with his surreal and fantastical works exhibited and collected internationally.
Further artists contributing to the fundraising exhibition include Matt Bollinger, Fletcher Sibthorp, Sunkyung Baek, Chloe Barnes, Colin Murphy, David Hamilton, Elizabeth Dimitroff, Helena Minginowicz, Mercedes Lucy, Nana Wolke, Nick Grindrod, PJ Houghton, Ralf Kokke, Salvatore Fiorello and Zoe Hawk, bringing together an expansive mix of established and emerging voices across contemporary painting and visual art. Across the wider line-up, artists are currently exhibiting at major international exhibitions and institutions including the 61st Venice Biennale, Kunsthalle Wien, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo and Tang Contemporary Art in Beijing.
