Compassion artwork by Murugiah

‘Our task must be to free ourselves … by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.’ – Albert Einstein

Murugiah developed the work in collaboration with a group of young asylum seekers from Compass Collective. The piece is inspired by the artwork of young pupils across the UK featuring messages of welcome for refugees and those seeking asylum around the world.

In the context of ongoing global crises and increasingly dangerous anti-migration rhetoric and policies, this work invites us to see how interconnected our world really is and how something seemingly ‘far away’ can impact all of us.

Through his distinctly bold and joyful approach, Murugiah and his young co-creators suggest that even the smallest acts of kindness and compassion can significantly improve the lives of people we encounter along the way; impacting not only our immediate family and friends but those with different life experiences and situations to ourselves.

By celebrating what connects us, Compassion shows us that our actions really can change the world.

Throughout Refugee Week Murugiah’s artwork was used by thousands of organisations and events and seen my millions on social media. An installation was created in partnership with Choose Love and Southbank Centre and at Glastonbury a special animation was displayed at the Pyramid stage before the headline set from Elton John.