Creative Seva: The print sale for India’s Covid Crisis

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Featuring work by 88 artists, the sale, which closes this weekend, hopes to raise funds for multiple India-based charities

In Sikhism and Hinduism, Seva is a term used to describe selfless acts of service, and actions taken to better the lives of others. It forms part of the title for a print sale – Creative Seva – that is fighting for lives as India continues to struggle against the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Featuring work by 88 artists, the sale is raising funds for three organisations: Delhi-based oxygen distributors Khalsa Aid and the Hemkunt Foundation, and Feeding From Far, a Mumbai-based initiative working with the NGO Prayatna to distribute food. With 100 per cent of proceeds being divided equally between the charities, the team hopes to help those affected by the pandemic.

© Benjamin Lennox.

Among the contributing photographers are Steve McCurry, Lorena Lohr, Hart Lëshkina, Himali Singh Soin, Inez and Vinoodh, Mary McCartney, and Yelena Yemchuk. The print sale, which ends on Sunday 20 June, was initiated by fashion photographer turned director Jam Patel. “I decided to put [the print sale] together after watching the horrific news and being terribly affected by what was happening in India,” she explains. “I reached out to photographers, agents, stylists, art directors, editors, hair and makeup teams across the world. The response was remarkable in such a short time. It was like a domino effect – everyone wanted to help.”

Creative Seva’s print sale closes on Sunday 20 June 2021. Access the sale here.

Isaac Huxtable

Isaac Huxtable is a freelance writer, as well as a curator at the arts consultancy Artiq. Prior to this, He studied a BA in History of Art at the Courtauld Institute, followed by roles at British Journal of Photography and The Photographers' Gallery. His words have featured in British Journal of Photography, Elephant Magazine, Galerie Peter Sellim, The Photographers' Gallery, and The South London Gallery. He is particularly interested in documentary ethics, race, gender, class, and the body.