Artists from around the world have joined forces to raise money for London’s homeless and vulnerable by opening an exhibition of artworks on bus panels.
Social enterprise 4BYSIX, an “art for good” community interest company, has curated the exhibition of new works in central London over the weekend of April 1 and 2. The pieces will be sold at an auction to raise money for the organisation’s ongoing projects helping people experiencing homelessness and underprivileged people across the capital, with sale price varying from £500 to £15,000 a piece.
Milo Philips, one of the founders said: “We wanted to get involved and help people…we wanted to collaborate with artists and make sure everyone benefits from the project.”
The exhibition features 26 internationally renowned artists including Richie Culver, Eva Beresin, Lil Kool and Yu Nagaba. 4BYSIX personally reclaimed panels and parts from “bus graveyards” and gave the artists creative autonomy,. gaining responses in a range of assorted styles from portrait and impressionist to etched and minimal.
Phillips told The Big Issue: “It started off with very random bus parts like mirrors, and windscreens but then we realised that thin aluminium cut into panels is the best canvas, so we’ve stuck with it ever since.”
The auction of the works ends on April 7, and proceeds will be donated to 4BYSIX’s ongoing charitable initiatives such as 4BYSIX FC, a football club for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, initiating a handout of sleeping bags, knitted hats and gloves and 4BYSIX Pizza Kitchens which deliver pizzas to deprived people.
4BYSIX handouts, donating essential items such as sleeping bags, knitted hats and clothing, and 4BYSIX Pizza Kitchens in London). The founders expressed a keen interest in expanding their projects with an aim to one day open a hostel.
