Artist Grayson Perry is selling a one-off painting of a Joker to raise money so people can be trained to give kidney transplants in developing countries.
He is joined by the likes of illustrator Quentin Blake, magician Dynamo, actor Joanna Lumley and adventurer Bear Grylls; who have all created artwork with a view to auctioning it off and raising money for a good cause.
The 52 designs, which are themed around a deck of playing cards (hence the Joker), will be offered at auction on 12 October without any reserve price. The idea is that it will make it accessible to all.
Proceeds will be donated to Transplant Links Community (TLC), where it will fund hands-on training in live-donor kidney transplantations.
TLC has worked with hospitals in Africa and the Caribbean to develop a living donation program where healthy relatives can donate a kidney to save a family member.
Joanna Lumley said of the auction: “It is always exciting to be asked to do something you have never done before for a charity that you feel deserves all the help it can get.
“Everything about TLC is music to my ears. What they achieve through their training and skills and application and sheer doggedness is exactly what life is about: never stopping trying to make the world a better place for someone else.”
Lumley added: “I bow my head to everyone on the team. Kidney transplants are a win-win solution to so much suffering and sorrow, and I send TLC all the loving support and admiration in the world.”
You can view the artworks at Ewbank’s auction house from 8-12 October or online, and you can even place bids before and during the auction on the Ewbank’s website.
For people who want a slice of the action, but don’t want to commit to a bidding war, there will also be special edition packs of cards containing copies of the artworks which can be purchased for £15.
Jennie Jewitt-Harris, CEO of TLC, said: “This is a rare opportunity to own a piece of incredible original artwork by a household name whilst raising money to save lives.”