Artists design charming ukuleles to be auctioned for charity

Fans of The Art of Ping Pong project, which has seen designers transform the humble ping pong bat into unique pieces of art since 2013, will love these revamped ukuleles.

Art on a Ukulele has been organised by the people behind Art on a Postcard – the annual charity event that sees artists and designers create anonymous postcard prints, which are then auctioned in aid of the Hepatitis C Trust. Bidders only find out who the postcard is by once they have bought it.

This new project will see a host of artists including Mick Rooney, Cathy Pilkington and Allen Jones create decorative designs for ukuleles, which have been made by craftsperson Pete Howlett.

The eclectic, colourful instruments will be on show at a charity concert in September, which will see performances from the likes of The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain and Clean Bandit, providing an audio-visual feast for design and music enthusiasts.

A private view exhibition of the unique art pieces and an auction will follow, with all proceeds going towards the Hepatitis C Trust. Unlike the postcards, the designs won’t be anonymous.

The one-off illustrations include everything from abstract, pop art-inspired graphic patterns through to intricate landscapes and trippy, make-believe depictions of people and animals.

The Art on a Postcard team is working with artist Mick Rooney on curating the collection of ukuleles for show and auction. The project was made possible by a crowdfunding campaign on Phundee, which reached its £6,000 target.

The charity concert takes place on 12 September at The Jazz Café, 5 Parkway, Camden, London NW1 7PG, and tickets cost £35. The auction takes place on 21 September at Long and Ryle, 4 John Islip Street, Westminster, London SW1P 4PX. Bidders can also take part in the auction online via the Art on a Ukulele site. All proceeds go to The Hepatitis C Trust.