Artists, Fashion Designers and Jewelers Create Custom Dolls For Charity: Frimousses Designers for Darfur.

For the tenth year, UNICEF France's Frimousses Creators bring together the greatest designers, artists and jewelers who put their talent toward helping UNICEF and children worldwide by creating one of a kind dolls that are auctioned with the proceeds going toward vaccinating children in Darfur.



The unique dolls (or in some cases, artworks inspired by dolls) were created by such well-known names and fashion houses as Prada, CHANEL, Gaultier, Gucci, Missoni, Issey Miyake, Olivia Putnam, Philip Pasqua, Mathieu Lehanneur, Dolce and Gabbana and many more. The pieces range from couture dressed Barbies to lithographs, knit dolls to robotic sculptures. To show the path of hope and gather people to believe in tomorrow, this year's theme was "Yes Future!" for which dynamic, lively, modern dolls and art works are the ambassadors of hope and carry the colors of life.

Here's a look at many of the other dolls from the project.
Anne Fontaine:

Agatha Ruiz de la Prada:

Ara Starck:

Agnes b.:

CHANEL:

Chantal Thomas:

Chloe:

Christian Dior:

Dolce and Gabbana:

Elie Saab:

François Clerc:

Frimousse de Coeur:

Gucci:

Issey Miyake:

Jay Ahr:

Jean-Paul Gaultier:

Jerome l'Huillier:

Jean Claude Jitrois:

Lorenz Baumer:

Mac Chaoul:

Mathieu Lehanneur:

Missoni:

Nicolas Saint Gregoire:

Olivia Putnam:

Prada:

Rallye des Princesses:

Valerie Attinelli:

Vincent Darre:

Yulia Yanina:

See all the dolls here.


What Went for The Most Money:
The Artcurial auction, which took place on December 3rd, 2012 at Petit Palais, raised $251,942. The top five pieces which garnered the most money for the cause were:

Lot 17. Carlos CRUZ-DIEZ Couleur Additive Denise B 6/8 2007, sold for $23,613:


Lot 16. DICE KAYEK Poupée Trésor « Lumière » June 2012 // Paris, sold for $16,557:


Lot 21. Claudine DRAI - Galerie de Noirmont, Untitled, August 2012, sold for $8,915:


Lot 5. Philippe PASQUA, Aora 2011 sold for $8,278:


Lot 71. TORRENTE Shina June, 2012 // Paris, sold for $7,642:


The individual results of each lot in the auction can be found here.

In ten years, the auctions of Frimousses Designers have raised over $ 1.5 million, allowing the fund UNICEF vaccination campaigns and saving hundreds of thousands of children.

For this 10th anniversary, UNICEF hopes to ensure the children of Darfur right to be healthy and to grow and thrive, protected from diseases such as measles.

If you want to support the actions of UNICEF for children in Darfur, you can send your donations by check *:

Frimousses Designers for Darfur
UNICEF France
3 rue Duguay Trouin
75006 Paris

Art Assault. 23 Artists Transform Decommissioned AK-47 Rifles In The Name Of Peace. ALL The Pieces From The AKA Peace Exhibition.

The most celebrated names in Contemporary Art united for Peace One Day, to react against the horror of violence globally, with ‘AKA Peace’.



Creating brand new works for a blockbuster autumn exhibition, curated by Jake Chapman in collaboration with non-profit organization Peace One Day, these artists have each reinterpreted an AK-47 assault rifle – the most recognizable and devastating worldwide killing machine – as arresting artworks of intrigue and even beauty; recasting a weapon of devastation as a conduit to peace.

Below are images of all the pieces:

Jake and Dinos Chapman:


Damien Hirst:

detail:

Antony Gormley:


Sam Taylor Wood:

detail:

Gavin Turk:

Solange Azagury-Partridge:

detail:

Rebecca Warren:

Stuart Semple (aka NIMROD):

Tim Noble and Sue Webster:

detail:

Douglas Gordon:


Jeremy Deller:

Marc Quinn:

Ryan Gander:

Jim Lambie:

Langlands & Bell:


Mat Collishaw:


Harland Miller:

detail:

Bran Symondson:

detail:

Sarah Lucas:


Charming Baker:

Antony Micallef:

Nancy Fouts:

detail:

Laila Shawa:

detail:


Here are a few beautiful portraits of the artists by Bran Symondson for his Cease Fire Magazine photo essay on the project:

Charming Baker:

Jake Chapman:

Tim Noble and Sue Webster:

Solange Azagury-Partridge:

Antony Micallef:

see more here

The AKA Peace Trailer:


The exhibition, originally conceived by photographer Bran Symondson and now curated by artist Jake Chapman, coincided with Peace Day, Friday 21 September 2012 and will raise awareness of Peace Day and raise funds for Peace One Day’s Global Truce 2013 campaign.

Jeremy Gilley, founder of Peace One Day said, “AKA Peace is a really profound project; turning a weapon of destruction into a weapon of peace is awesome. The benefits of awareness and finance to help Global Truce 2013 is a great outcome. I’m grateful to Bran for having a wonderful idea and it’s an honour to have Jake Chapman curate the project.” Peace Day 2012 will be marked by the Peace One Day Concert, at Wembley Arena in London. Headlining the concert will be Elton John, alongside James Morrison and 2Cellos.

The ICA exhibition of AKA Peace runs from 26 until 30 September at the Institute of Contemporary Art before the pieces are auctioned at Phillips de Pury & Company on 4th October to raise funds and awareness for Peace One Day and Global Truce 2013.

For more information please visit: www.peaceoneday.org/aka-peace

Bran Symondson took the majority of the photos shown in this post. The Damien Hirst image is courtesy of Damien Hirst, The Jim Lambie image is courtesy of Ruth Clark via Phillips de Pury. Other images courtesy of Peace One Day.