Thirty years on from the famed charity exhibition ‘Little Pieces from Big Stars’, War Child UK and Flowers Gallery announce an important Autumn exhibition and fundraiser.
Opening on 10 October, coinciding with the UN International Day of the Girl Child, the exhibition Lost Girls boldly addresses the profound challenges faced by girls affected by war.
Presented by War Child UK and created and curated by Intersectional Feminist Art Collective InFems, Lost Girls aims to empower with a focus on survival rather than victimhood. The exhibition aims to raise funds for War Child UK’s crucial work, providing support to children and their families in 15 countries worldwide.
The selection of artists and curators is purposeful, including individuals who have deep and personal connections with refugee communities, PTSD, or come from territories where War Child provides urgent care and support. InFems Artist-in-Residence and guest co-curator Nadia Duvall is a former child refugee who describes herself as “a bug on a permanent journey. A lost girl with suitcases full of nothing, but heir to a full voice.”
Ai Weiwei is perhaps one of the world’s most famous artists and activists who has consistently sought to highlight the plight of refugees and human rights abuses through his work. He comments, “No matter the extent of efforts dedicated to the welfare of women and children, it consistently falls short of sufficiency. It is impossible to contemplate the prospects of humanity’s future without their presence. In reality, irrespective of the ravages of war, poverty, and environmental upheavals, the most profound repercussions are endured by women and children. When assessing the contemporary level of civilization within our society, there exists a sole criterion: the capacity to safeguard and nurture the health and well-being of women and children.”
French Gabonese artist Owanto uses her art to tackle the horrors of female genital mutilation, while Ethiopian artist Tewodros Hagos has dedicated his practice to displaced people, with his latest series of paintings celebrating the power, beauty, and resilience of women. Indigenous Australian artist Tracey Moffatt who has represented her country at the Venice Biennale, explores themes of race, gender, and identity through her powerful photography.
Other artists, such as Maggi Hambling, Marie Harnett, InFems co-Directors Roxana Halls and Rebecca Fontaine-Wolf, art-punk pioneer Linder and Caroline Coon, a hero of the counterculture since the 1960s, place women and girls at the centre of their artistic practice. Many of the participating artists including radical British-born American ‘feminist-surrealist’ Penelope Slinger have created original works specifically for the Lost Girls exhibition. The full list of participating artists will be announced in September.
Lost Girls will take place during Frieze Week, open from 10 – 14 October at Flowers Gallery and will also be for sale via Artsy from 26th September. In a world filled with constant news of war, this timely exhibition enables the art world to raise awareness and funds, making a positive impact on the lives of girls affected by conflict. The full artist list and exhibition catalogue will be announced in September.
War Child is driven by a single goal – ensuring a safe future for every child affected by war. It works in some of the hardest to reach places to support those who are hardest hit. It aims to reach children as quickly as possible when conflict breaks out and stay long after the cameras have gone to support them through their recovery.
Nearly 90 million girls – or 1 in 5 globally – are living in a conflict zone, with devastating impacts on their health, wellbeing, and future opportunities.[1] War Child works with local communities and governments to help protect and educate children, and support them to heal and learn, for a safer, brighter future.
