British Red Cross x Yinka Ilori “This Is Human Kind”

Our latest work for the British Red Cross, in partnership with nationally acclaimed artist, Yinka Ilori, launched the latest collaboration for the charity’s 'This Is Human Kind' campaign. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the British Red Cross has worked with a range of diverse UK-based artists to help spread the power of human kindness.  

At the heart of the integrated campaign was a mural, created by Yinka Ilori, the London-based artist, who was awarded an MBE for his work in design. It celebrated the acts of kindness from communities throughout the UK since the start of the pandemic. Located on Ebor Street, Shorditch, the 15ft mural celebrated the deeper human connections which have been made throughout the coronavirus pandemic. The colourful piece was emblematic of Yinka’s distinctive style: bold, bright and with a clear nod to his West African heritage.

This was the third artist collaboration for the British Red Cross following the 'Kindness Will Keep Us Together' campaign, which launched at the beginning of the pandemic. It included 11 artists such as Anthony Burrill, Supermundane, and Rose Blake. There was also the 'I Have the Power' collaboration at the end of 2020, with work by Morgan Myerscough and 9 other artists. Every artist collaboration has aligned with the values of the British Red Cross and helped fuel the kindness movement, raise critical funds to help those most in need and drive awareness of the charity's humanitarian impact.

Speaking about the project Yinka said: “The opportunity to design something for the British Red Cross was an absolute honour. The mural is trying to celebrate community, collaboration and just being kind to others. My work has always been about community and about inclusivity. In art and design, making art spaces inclusive is the gateway to making people belong. The British Red Cross makes people feel like they belong, they have a voice that is listened to and heard. It was an absolute honour to be approached by the charity to and to be a part of their amazing legacy on communities.”

Yinka said that this year made him realise the importance of meaningful connections: “London is a lonely city at the best of times so it’s really important to get to know your communities. The pandemic really brought that home to me. I’ve made an effort to speak to new people, young and old and I pretty much know everyone on my street now.” 

This year, the British Red Cross has reached over 2 million people in the UK with acts of kindness, from delivering food and medicine to providing a listening ear on the charity’s national support line. Throughout the pandemic, volunteers supported the NHS at vaccination centres, GP surgeries and hospitals across the country, providing support and the right information to those getting their coronavirus vaccine.

Zoe Abrams, Executive Director of Communications at the British Red Cross said: “We are delighted to team up with Yinka, who has created this wonderful mural. We’ve seen countless acts of kindness this year - from our volunteers delivering food and medicine to those isolating, being a listening ear on our national coronavirus support line, as well as providing support to those getting their vaccine. Yinka’s work embraces the idea of community spirit and the importance of human connections, which is the cornerstone for how the British Red Cross carries out its work, helping the most vulnerable in our communities”

Limited edition, signed 'This Is Human Kind' print available for purchase on the British Red Cross online gift shop.