Farewill, the UK’s leading death specialists, has partnered with leading contemporary ceramic artist, John Booth, to launch a limited-edition set of urns. The collaboration, A Colourful Life, is designed to show how we can better honour someone’s life and open up conversations about what we want when we die.

The Scottish-born, London based artist, renowned for his interiors and fashion credentials has previously brought his joyful style to collaborations with the likes of Fendi and Paul Smith. Now working with Farewill, John Booth has created five unique urns, using his signature array of vibrant colours and quirky shapes to design a beautiful collection. The collection aims to spark joy when remembering someone or planning for death.

Each urn will be available for application on Farewill for a limited time here: https://farewill.com/urns

Ceramic artist, John Booth, commented: “I’ve been really inspired by the opportunity to create something new in an industry traditionally void of creativity and choice. After the year we’ve had, it’s more important than ever to bring some joy to how we’re remembered, creating urns which reflect the vibrancy of our lives. I usually work on interiors and fashion so it was a really rewarding experience to work on something so unique. I approached this campaign with a sense of joy, playfulness and use of bold colour and shapes.

I always find inspiration in colour and vibrancy within my work, and this is what I’ve really tried to reflect with this partnership. I really liked the idea of urns being a tribute to a person – the urns I’ve created have a monumental quality to them with bold graphic shapes and sections to accommodate dried flowers.”

In a year where we’ve been faced with our own mortality, Farewill’s research found the majority (82%) of Brits agreed that COVID-19 has completely changed the way they think about death. And it shows that people are looking for more personal ways to celebrate the life of someone’s life, with almost half (41%) of respondents saying they would rather see money spent on meaningful elements and personal touches such as an urn, rather than a lavish service.

Almost half (46%) feel that urns represent a place where they can keep that person close to them after they’ve died. Moving away from the often-standardised aesthetic of urns, Farewill’s creative partner, John Booth, has shown how an artistic approach; using bright, bold colours and distinctive shapes can inject more meaning into the final home of someone’s life and express who they really were – with a third of people (33%) agreeing urns should be beautifully designed for the family to keep and pass on from generation to generation.

Farewill’s research also suggests that the death industry is limited when it comes to personal touches that truly represent someone’s life, with almost a third (32%) agreeing that they felt funeral companies and directors are in need of a refresh. A quarter (24%) felt that funeral directors were old fashioned, and 22% found them to be unapproachable and intimidating.

Farewill has recently launched a new funeral service, giving people the freedom to shape their service to how they want it and add-on elements of their choice. The service is affordable and removes convoluted processes to offer ceremonies for as little as £1,480 (66% cheaper than the average UK funeral).

Dan Garrett, CEO at Farewill said: “We’re on a mission to change the way the world deals with death. The funeral industry hasn’t changed in over 150 years – it’s the largest industry yet to adapt as people’s preferences and needs are changing. We need to move away from the grim, Victorian approach to death, and instead help people to remember their loved ones in a way that reflects who they are.

By working with the legendary ceramic artist, John Booth, on a series of vibrant urns, we’re hoping to open up the conversation about how we can better honour someone’s life, their way. It’s inspiring seeing John’s approach to celebrating life, helping us to redesign how we approach death.”