WorkArt & Culture

Borderless: Jenny Theolin and Ata Berenjian collaborate to create artworks inspired by lockdown

During art school, Jenny Theolin was often told that you should never touch another person's art.

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Framed digital artwork featuring white cartoon characters and abstract shapes layered over pink, purple and turquoise backgrounds in a playful, chaotic composition

And now, starved for intimacy during the Covid-19 pandemic – when even touching our family and friends could be dangerous – she has found comfort in a collaboration with Ata Berenjian, encouraging him to "touch, hug, vandalise, meddle and enrich" her work.

The result is Borderless – a series of digital artworks and a "beautiful collision of characteristics". Using Jenny’s photography as a canvas, Ata applied his distinctive illustration style to create something completely new. "This collaboration is all about building on top, adding and creating together. A little bit like we hope the world will be doing more of once open," says Jenny.

Now available as prints with 50% of the proceeds going to Médecins Sans Frontières.

Colourful digital artwork featuring cartoon-like white characters with black outlines dancing and gesturing playfully against a layered background of pink, purple, green and moss textures with abstract doodles and symbols scattered throughout
Borderless artwork featuring Jenny Theolin's photography with Ata Berenjian's blue, black and white illustration overlay, displayed in a wooden frame
Abstract illustration with blue, black and white geometric shapes and symbols layered over a monochrome architectural photograph of a modern building interior
Colourful framed artwork titled XYEAH featuring a white cartoon character in red surrounded by purple spiky shapes, hearts and abstract elements against a dark background
Symmetrical stairwell descending into darkness with red neon lighting and gold linear ceiling fixtures, with mirrored rectangular elements on both walls and a "Basement STAGE" sign glowing in pink at the bottom
Colourful digital artwork featuring a cartoon figure in red surrounded by purple and white graphic shapes and text reading "YEAH" against a "Basement Stage" backdrop
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