Artist says famous people and status mean nothing to him

A celebrity painter who has sold paintings to the Obamas, Clintons and Leonardo DiCaprio has said the status of celebrities "means nothing" to him as everyone is equal, which is a message he is trying to spread.
British painter Sacha Jafri said he'd treat the king of England and the janitor of a bathroom the same way, to show that everyone is born equal. Jafri is doing a live painting at the 5^th annual Global Education and Skills Forum. It will be auctioned off and the earnings donated to the Varkey Foundation.
In an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times, Jafri said:  "If they're leaders in their fields, I respect them. I have a lot of respect for Presidents Obama and President Clinton for what they've achieved and for believing in things I believe in and respect.
"I don't think it (selling paintings to celebs) affects me in anyway. I've sold to people who you'd call known figures, such as Leonardo DiCaprio, George Clooney, Madonna, Lady Gaga and Kate Moss. I've sold to business people, such as Philip Greene, Bill Gates and Sir Richard Branson."
Jafri added: "Some of them I've really enjoyed meeting. Sir Richard Branson is one of the most inspiring men I've ever met. He's full of goodness and light. I didn't really see him as anything other than a guy sitting in front of me having a chat. So, I've been very lucky to sell to a lot of those guys, but I think the interesting thing is when you engage with them as people. I think their status means nothing. In my mind, we're all equal." Jafri is known for his offbeat process of creating paintings, where he goes into a trance and draws from  his subconscious mind. For the live painting at the forum, he will start early on Sunday. The painting is expected to be auctioned off for millions of dollars. He doesn't know what he is going to draw as the images stored in his subconscious mind will "flow onto the canvas. I'm going to aim to create a painting that reflects everything happening around us. It's going to be called 'Sole of the Earth' and I'm going to get into a meditative state and try to draw from the subconscious," he said.
sarwat@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai