The street artist known as Stik is to donate a series of artworks to a charity auction to help raise money for the NHS.
Known for his large stick-figure murals that adorn buildings across London, the artist will offer a full set of his ‘baby’ prints to raise money for the Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust’s Art Charitable Fund. A previous auction in 2015 raised £50,000 for the hospital.
Explaining the works, which are listed at between £2,000 and £3,000, Stik said: “They are the first four artist proofs of the Sleeping Baby print which represents the vulnerability of the NHS. I had the silk-screen prints made especially to raise funds for Homerton Hospital. These are my artist’s proofs which I held back especially for this moment.”
He added: “Caring for the sick is the duty of our society not a business opportunity and should not be privatised. We need to keep it alive and look after it as if it were our baby.”
Stik’s image of a baby has also been adopted by striking junior doctors. “I’m honoured that Sleeping Baby has been used by the junior doctors and proud to be associated with their movement,” he said.
“I granted them free use of the image on flyers, banners and leaflets and have attended many of their picket lines which was a personal challenge as I am not a morning person generally. However, I see the role of the artist as being to bring around social change. What else is there?”
The auction of Stik’s Sleeping Baby takes place on 19 May at Christie’s Prints and Multiples. For more info visit: www.christies.com
Image:
Stik, Sleeping Baby
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