Dubai-based British artist Sacha Jafri has created a painting for King Charles III’s coronation as a gift to the Al Maktoum royal family.
The world-acclaimed contemporary artist was asked by Simon Penney, the King’s Trade Commissioner for the Middle East and Pakistan and the Consul General of Dubai, to create the painting as a non-monetary commission which would be gifted to the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
“It was a real honour,” Jafri told Arabian Business as he recalled the event where he painted it live, during the coronation event at the British Embassy in Dubai. “[The Embassy] saw it as an opportunity to strengthen and amplify the ties between the two countries, the two royal families and to show that unity.”
“It’s definitely an honour to be asked to create this piece. It’s particularly special to me because I have a long relationship with HRH King Charles and HH Prince William in their charitable work.”
Jafri has worked with both of their charities including the Royal Foundation with Prince William and his Heads Together campaign, among several others and with King Charles’ Prince’s Trust and his Mosaic Initiative which was centred on reaching out to the Muslim community in the UK and abroad.
“He’s a very compassionate man and I feel that he’s often misunderstood. I think it’s a thing of the British media particularly, but with monarchs or figureheads, the press tend to grab moments and then elevate that moment, and that’s how people then judge that man or woman. It’s a little unfair and it’s wrong, you get the wrong impression of that person, I know King Charles as a very compassionate Man.”
A royal portrait with pink hearts
Jafri saw the painting as an opportunity to paint the new King in a different light – as a compassionate man going through a real human experience.
“He’s not just a monarch, he’s a man. He’s human at the end of the day. He feels pain, vulnerability, self-questioning, and self-doubt like everybody and it’s nice to show that in a painting in a very ethereal way. What better a symbol of a man’s empathy and love than a colourful cacophony of pink and purple hearts, painted with poignancy and intention?” he said.
“I want to amplify his compassion and his empathy, the fact that he has a vision for the future, has been on a journey, and has waited in the wings a long time – that comes with certain frustrations and complications – I wanted to show that in a beautiful human way.”
The large-scale 3 x 3 metre canvas uniquely celebrates the ethos behind King Charles III’s reign, depicting his sense of duty and his visions for the future of the UK and all Humanity.
In the painting, the British monarch takes centre stage against a backdrop that is a visual marvel. Positioned at the bottom centre, the regal figure is framed by a striking blue pool, symbolising the reflective, thoughtful and intention-filled state of the King, while an enchanting shade of fluorescent pink envelops the rest of the canvas, infusing the composition with an otherworldly allure.
Jafri skilfully incorporated hearts and powerful symbols of the planet Earth, signifying the monarch’s unwavering commitment to environmentalism—a cause that has been a lifelong passion of his.
Adding a touch of historical significance, two Victorian-style portraits grace the artwork, depicting a youthful Queen Elizabeth II and a poignant moment from her Jubilee celebration, as well as a Victorian-style coin with the King’s profile painted in softer sepia tones, adding to the nostalgia of the piece. These elegant renderings lend an air of royalty and chronicle the passage of time.
The canvas also features meticulously crafted blue and green hearts, resonating with environmental symbolism and reinforcing the monarch’s dedication to preserving our planet.
“I hope that comes across, just that softness. You’d never think of a royal portrait with pink hearts and that’s why I purposely did this, I wanted to give it that sense of what you wouldn’t expect, that love, and I think it turned out really beautifully.”
Though it was painted to depict King Charles in a more down-to-earth manner, the composition adeptly captures the grandeur of the coronation itself, with traditional elements like a horse-drawn carriage and the crown, evoking a sense of ceremonial splendour.
Victorian-style portraits were interspersed throughout the painting to further accentuate the contrast between the monarch’s deeply compassionate nature and the regal atmosphere of the coronation.
“I wanted to show the King’s specific visions and focuses on sustainability projects and very specific ones that you can see within the painting, his conservational projects that he’s put out in the country, his love of heritage and conserving it, because that links us to our ancestral past and if you lose that link to your past, it’s very hard to understand your future. And I think that’s important. That’s a lot to do with the pool of water [surrounding him in the painting], enhancing this sense of contemplation and reflection.“
The artwork also pays homage to Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, as well as the Queen consort Camilla, and includes a large and more prominent Victorian-style portrait of the newly crowned King at the top right of the canvas, symbolising the dawn of a new era in British history.
It encapsulates the monarch’s profound devotion to environmentalism while immersing viewers in a visual tapestry of contrasting symbolism.
“I wanted to make it very much about his face, his aura, his energy emitting with this sort of montage of history and what the monarchy is about.”
The painting highlights the King’s human side, including his vulnerability, his faith, dedication to conservation and environmentalism, as well as his historically vocal position as a “defender of all faiths.”
“All previous monarchs have had that title followed by one line. Queen Elizabeth II, the Defender of the Faith – that was her official title. King Charles made a statement by changing that for the first time and saying: King Charles III, The Defender of all Faiths, which is a very important and poignant statement,” Jafri explained.
He believes that it links with the ethos of the late Sheikh Zayed and the rulers of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah, who all consciously support religious coexistence.
“We will be gifting the painting at a later date, timings yet to be announced, to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and the ruling Al Maktoum family of Dubai, which is important to me because [the UK and UAE] are my two favourite countries, two places that I really love and connect with, two places I call home.”
The contemporary artist sought out to highlight King Charles’ three main passions: conservation, sustainability and heritage.
“If we’re going to focus on sustainability and on that reconnection of humanity, tolerance, coexistence, etc, we have to understand that we need to focus not on our differences, but on our similarities.
“At the end of the day, we’re all made of the same stuff; energy and intention, with our vibrations being emitted into our Universe, as ours and all humanity’s one true legacy.”
COP28
The artwork comes as the UN climate conference COP28 is looming on the horizon and will take place in the UAE this November.
“I think we’re going to see some real development at COP28,” said Jafri. “I wanted this painting to sort of reflect that and guide us on that journey towards COP28. I will be producing a live piece at COP28, not only affirming the UAE and UK’s partnerships and alignment in these areas, but also further reflecting this need for a shift in consciousness, and real change towards a more sustainable world for our children; this will be a really exciting piece, but at this stage I cannot comment further.”
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