'Drawing a Line under Torture' charity art auction raises record-breaking total
Friday 10th November 2023
Airborne Greetings (pictured) by Quentin Blake was among 60 artworks auctioned on 6 November to raise money for Freedom From Torture at their auction 'Drawing a Line under Torture'. The mixture of 'silent' (online) and live bid Lots raised over £303,000 for the charity, which works with surivors of torture.
The auction also included pieces by artists such as Grayson Perry, David Hockney, Kiki Smith and Antony Gormley. This year was the first time that Freedom from Torture's biennial auction has featured works by well-known architects, such as Peter Barber, Anna Liu and Steve Tompkins, alongside emerging and established artists.
One of the highest-selling pieces was a lithograph, Homme Debout, by Swiss sculptor and painter Alberto Giacometti, which sold for £11,000. A painting of a scene in Venice by British pop artist Patrick Hughes sold for £4,100, and a Paula Rego etching went for £2,300, while Quentin's ink and watercolour drawing fetched £3,400.
Proceeds from the auction will be crucial to Freedom from Torture's work, helping survivors of torture to rebuild their lives. Across their five centres in the UK, the charity provides specialist psychological therapy, counselling and creative groups to help survivors to recover from their trauma. For more information, visit the charity's website at: https://www.freedomfromtorture.org/
The auction also included pieces by artists such as Grayson Perry, David Hockney, Kiki Smith and Antony Gormley. This year was the first time that Freedom from Torture's biennial auction has featured works by well-known architects, such as Peter Barber, Anna Liu and Steve Tompkins, alongside emerging and established artists.
One of the highest-selling pieces was a lithograph, Homme Debout, by Swiss sculptor and painter Alberto Giacometti, which sold for £11,000. A painting of a scene in Venice by British pop artist Patrick Hughes sold for £4,100, and a Paula Rego etching went for £2,300, while Quentin's ink and watercolour drawing fetched £3,400.
Proceeds from the auction will be crucial to Freedom from Torture's work, helping survivors of torture to rebuild their lives. Across their five centres in the UK, the charity provides specialist psychological therapy, counselling and creative groups to help survivors to recover from their trauma. For more information, visit the charity's website at: https://www.freedomfromtorture.org/