“Right now there are 150 million children around the world labouring in almost every industry you can think”.

 

Did you know that?  I didn’t.  Sometimes there is no doubting the ability of street art to make a an impact and the organisation Child Labor Free have made this message abundantly clear on Shoreditch Art Wall through a collaboration between Mexican street artist Victoria Villasanna and French street artist Zabou.

 

 

The work combines the stencilled and free hand emulsion painting of Zabou with the wonderful threaded colours of Victoria Villasanna, rendered in her signature bright wool augmented with additional coloured tape.

 

 

Along with the conscious raising artwork at this very prominent site on Great Eastern St, Shoreditch, there is also a limited edition organic cotton t-shirt featuring one of the collaborative portraits.  Freenet offers freedom and employment to women trapped in Kolkata’s sex trade and 100% of profits go to developing a child care centre for high risk children in Kolkata’s red light district.

 

T-shirts available at www.childlaborfree.com.

 

All photos: Dave Stuart except t-shirt image courtesy CLF