An artist from Wood Green has created work following a charity trip to a place where children are four times as likely to go blind.

Figurative artist Tim Benson, 39, created a series of oil paintings for a sight-saving charity, after travelling to Kitwe Hospital Eye Annexe with international eye health charity Orbis to see their work which includes sight-saving surgery, which will be displayed at The Mall Galleries, SW1.

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Tim, who is vice president of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, is committed to working with charities to tell the stories of the people he meets throughout the world and help shine a light on important issues.

He says: “This incredible journey provided me with the experiences necessary to make an exhibition of paintings that will tell the stories of those involved in this miraculous life-changing process. I think painted portraits speak to people in a way that the written word and photography can’t so I hope my exhibitions engage people with important global challenges and help build awareness.”

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Zambia is one of the poorest countries in the world, approximately 78 per cent of Zambia’s population lives in poverty and 245,440 people are blind or visually impaired. Children in Zambia are four times more likely to go blind than children in developed countries.

Rebecca Cronin, CEO of Orbis UK, adds: “Our collaboration with Tim offers a unique insight into our work. There are 36 million people across the world who are blind – 75 per cent of them needlessly so - and we hope that Tim’s powerful paintings will help people understand why Orbis is so passionate about changing this.”

The exhibition will run from March 12 to 17 at the Mall Galleries, London SW1, 80 per cent of the sales will go to Orbis.

Visit: timbenson.co.uk/visions-of-zambia/