Saliah Bryan is the founding artist and designer behind The Pillow Talk Cause. The Pillow Talk Cause aims to gather artists from across the world to design a bespoke cushion collection that reflects a cause they wish to support. By purchasing a unique artwork, a percentage of the proceeds from each sale will be donated to a charitable cause.

Cushions are often the centre piece of a room, and should be the starting point of a conversation.

‘The Pillow Talk Cause’ will be launching and exhibited at this years Reconnecting Arts Exhibition from August the 15th – 9th September, at the Menier Gallery. London.

Each artist will produce a limited edition and limited run of cushions, to be sold, with a percentage of the proceeds being donated to the cause it seeks to represent. In this instance, artist Saliah Bryan aims to raise awareness of the ongoing crisis in Syria and offer her donation to charities which support Syrian refugees.

Saliah mentions that Arabic art and design can always seem very traditional, and whilst that’s a beautiful homage to the detail, geometry and classic Arabesque design, there’s a lack of being fun, experimental and pushing for a transition into modern, contemporary art with little rules, and more freedom of expression.

“These cushions have been designed using a variety of colourful, energetic Arabic letters, numbers, diacritics and short vowel marks (Tashkeel, Harakat, I’jam, Hamza, etc). This is also a representation of the struggle to transition into adulthood in a western society, whilst holding onto the fun and positive childhood memories of Saliah’s upbringing in the Middle East. Some childhood memories, however, will always be frozen in time; like those children who lost their lives trying to reach our shores. Saliah dedicates these series of cushions, with the aim of breaking the mould of tradition, and show a transition into freedom; which was taken away from refugees. The term ‘Pillow Talk’ has been chosen to represent the intention of these cushions being a statement piece in a room, to spark a conversation and raise awareness for the lives lost of refugees.”

Each pillow in the collection holds a story with a percentage of the profits going to Human Care Syria.

You can follow the campaign on Instagram and Saliah on Twitter!