N 36º12.54 E 70º47.36 - AFGHANISTAN

When the first artists painted on cave walls, there was no blue. Early people had no word for it in their sagas and myths. 9,000 years ago, the first true blue – ultramarine – was discovered in the mountains of northern Afghanistan, mined from lapis lazuli, and carried through history by Egyptians, Persians and Renaissance painters. It is the blue of the Madonna’s robes, of Cleopatra’s eyeshadow and of Tutankhamen’s mask. 

For millennia this extraordinary colour has captured imaginations and symbolised divine beauty. It’s rarity and cost once made it more precious than gold.

Supported by the Tavolozza Foundation, we have recreated this legendary pigment from its original source of the Sar-e Sang mines in northern Afghanistan. Now we are putting the paint in the hands of leading contemporary artists to produce new masterpieces which will be sold at auction. Proceeds from Project Blue will go towards establishing jobs within the culture and heritage sector in Afghanistan, bringing employment and hope to a new generation of young Afghans.