The Sovereign Art Foundation (SAF) proudly concludes this season with two successful fundraising events held in Dubai and Portugal, each reinforcing our mission to bring therapeutic benefits of art to disadvantaged children around the world.
On 14 November, SAF partnered with local charity Gulf for Good to hold the ‘Strides 4 Good’ Gala Dinner at The Lana hotel, Dubai. Nearly 200 guests gathered for this black-tie event, which marked the culmination of an extraordinary charitable adventure as part of the World Marathon Challenge.
James Elliot-Square (Commercial Director, Sovereign PPG Dubai) and Paris Norriss (TV presenter, motivational speaker, adventurer and conservationist) completed seven marathons across seven continents in seven consecutive days (with James running the last five marathons on crutches due to injuries sustained early in the competition).
The highlight of the gala was the live creation of an artwork throughout the event by internationally acclaimed British visual artist Sacha Jafri. Guests witnessed a rare and mesmerising moment as he entered a deep theta-state trance to create the painting. The painting was then auctioned live with a hammer price of USD160,000! [Read about it here]
On 22 November, the fourth edition of the annual Sovereign Portuguese Art Prize Gala Dinner and Charity Auction took place at the stunning Palácio da Bacalhôa in Azeitão, Portugal, where SAF welcomed over 300 local and international guests.
The Grand Prize of €25,000 was awarded to artist Edgar Martins for his research-based photographic work Anton’s Hand is Made of Guilt. No Muscle or Bone. He has a Gung-ho Finger and a Grief-stricken Thumb, which is the final iteration of his Our War, a project that earned the artist several prestigious accolades, including the Sony World Photographer of the Year 2023, the International Photography Awards Film Photographer of the Year 2023 and the Juror’ Choice Category of the Hariban Award 2023.
This year also marked the inauguration of the Women’s Prize, sponsored by Sassy Women Society, to honour the highest-scoring female finalist with a cash price of €2,000. It was awarded to Alice Marcelino for her piece, Black Skin White Algorithm. You can still help decide the winner of the Public Vote prize by casting your vote for your favourite artwork here!
The Sovereign Portuguese Art Prize Finalists’ Exhibition has just opened at the Sociedade Nacional De Belas Artes in Lisbon and will run until 13 December. It is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 7pm. Please come and view the exhibition and cast your vote for the Public Vote prize in person.
In Hong Kong, SAF was honoured to be selected as a recipient of funds raised by the Wednesday Afternoon Golf Society’s (WAGS) annual Golfing for Good Day. This event, which took place on 21 November, brought together passionate golfers and generous donors for a fun day with a charitable purpose. The donated funds will be used to apply for a matching grant from the Hong Kong government’s Social Welfare Department in order to fully maximise the impact to our beneficiaries.
These achievements would not have been possible without the dedication of our volunteers, the generosity of our sponsors and the support of the different communities in which we operate.
If you wish to be a part of this collective effort and make a meaningful impact, your donation can help us move closer to realising our vision of a future where everyone has access to art and its profound impact on wellbeing. Please consider becoming a monthly contributor or donating any amount to SAF now. [Donate now]
