Mary McCartney Teams Up with De Beers for Women’s Charity

Her new series of portraits is an homage to female creativity.

Mary McCartney shooting Chen Man for Moments in Light Courtesy the artist and De Beers

Photographer and socialite Mary McCartney, daughter of Sir Paul, unveiled her new project, Moments in Light, at an intimate event hosted by the Royal Academy of Arts in London on June 5. A well-heeled art crowd, including Texas singer Sharleen Spiteri and Sir Peter Blake, congregated to toast the  series of portraits realized for the charity Women for Women, in partnership with jeweler De Beers.

Moments in Light celebrates female creative talents. McCartney selected and shot five women for their exceptional craftsmanship: Michelin chef Skye Gyngell, fashion designer Alice Temperley, artist Cornelia Parker, choreographer Aszure Barton, and photographer Chen Man. De Beers’s philanthropic initiative will finance a yearlong program of classes for 150 women survivors of war in countries including Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Rwanda.

Mary McCartney, Cornelia, part of the Moments in Light project (2014) Courtesy the artist and De Beers

Mary McCartney, Cornelia, part of the Moments in Light project (2014)
Courtesy the artist and De Beers

As the evening went on, champagne flowed under an exuberant, meadow-like flower displays hanging from the ceiling. Guests were treated to a five-course vegetarian menu designed by Gyngell­, a subtle homage to the McCartneys’ long-standing commitment to vegetarianism famously championed by Mary’s mother, Linda.

Mary McCartney, Skye Gyngell, part of the Moments in Light project (2014) Courtesy the artist and De Beers

Mary McCartney, Skye Gyngell, part of the Moments in Light project (2014)
Courtesy the artist and De Beers