World’s largest canvas painting, Journey of Humanity, made by Sacha Jafri, has sold for $62 million in Dubai. Andre Abdoune, a French businessman and cryptocurrency entrepreneur who now lives in Dubai was the buyer of the artwork. Andre is the Chief Executive Officer of Altius Gestion International Holding.
Sacha Jafri painted the Journey of Humanity during the lockdown in Dubai at the ballroom of Dubai’s Atlantis, The Palm. Painting the piece, which measures 17,000 square feet—covering an area roughly equal to six tennis courts, four basketball courts, or two football fields—took Jafri eight months, sometimes working 20 hours a day at the Atlantis, the Palm hotel in Dubai, while it was in lockdown. He was awarded the Guinness World Records for the largest canvas painting, and sold it completely to Andre Abdoune.
Even though Sacha had intended to sell the painting of 17,176 square feet piece by piece, Andre bought the entire masterpiece on his own. Sacha sold the painting for approximately $62 million, double the amount he had targeted.
Upon asking how he feels looking up to Sacha’s Journey, Andre Abdoune replied to Magzoid,” Peaceful! I think that there is always a solution for everything. After bad things good things happen. It’s a circle. Sacha gives me happiness every time I meet him. He is so wonderful that even when you are near him and talks to you, you come down. It is very difficult to find someone like him in your life. I met him once in Paris long time ago. We had a good connection and I met him by coincidently here. Now we have one project together which is just a beginning. Dubai was the way. It’s just a beginning. I promise that we have more projects which are coming along. Just give me some time and you can see we can do better and better.”
Andre said that they haven’t reached their best. There are more projects coming along and there is more coming to it. Abdoune said he is planning a “second step” for the painting, hoping to raise even more money for charity, without providing further details. The artist has revealed that Abdoune intends to build a museum to house the painting.