The Blues No. 1.12.7.2020/21 5-layer screenprinted edition marks Atelier JI’s first collaboration with Mona Hatoum.
The print is based on an original artwork that Hatoum contributed to Migrate Art's Scorched Earth project, sold to benefit RefuAid, Refugee Community Kitchen, and The Lotus Flower.
In 2019, Migrate Art founder Simon Butler visited refugee camps in Iraqi Kurdistan with one of the organisation’s charity partners The Lotus Flower, which provides support to women and children displaced by war. The region has faced the deliberate destruction of hundreds of thousands of acres of crops by organised militia groups who are using them as an intimidation tactic – most likely ISIS. Simon collected ash from the burnt crop fields and brought it back to London to produce paint to be given to artists to create original artworks. These works of art were auctioned at Christie's to raise funds for Migrate Art's charity partners whose work supports displaced and vulnerable communities. Editioned prints created from these original artworks have gone on to raise further funds. Thus far, the Scorched Earth auction and subsequent print editions have raised over £500,000 for RefuAid, Refugee Community Kitchen and The Lotus Flower.
In 2020, Mona Hatoum contributed The Blues No. 1.12.7.2020/21 to Migrate Art’s ‘Scorched Earth’ Charity Auction. Migrate Art presented a collection of new works created in direct response to the widespread burning of crop fields in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Following the success of the Scorched Earth auction, Migrate Art began creating limited edition prints to further support this humanitarian and ecological disaster. Atelier JI created several editions, including The Blues No. 1.12.7.2020/21 for Migrate Art and Mona Hatoum.
