Top Scottish artist and writers collaborate for auction at the Saatchi Gallery. The last work produced by the late Scottish artist Craigie Aitchison, who died aged 83 in December last year, is to be auctioned for Oxfam on Tuesday March 16.

Before his death, Aitchison - whose works are collected by the likes of Sir Elton John and Sir Terence Conran - was one of a group of leading artists, including Antony Gormley and Sir Peter Blake, who were commissioned to create original works of art to raise money for the aid agency.

The art works, including Aitchison's, are unique customised art boxes, inspired by and commissioned to house Ox-Tales - Oxfam's popular short story collection, which was published last year.

For Ox-Tales, authors including Scots Ian Rankin and Kate Atkinson, joined forces with 30 other writers to produce four brilliant collections of short stories, themed loosely on the elements: EARTH, AIR, FIRE and WATER.

Following the successful launch of a popular paperback edition of Ox-Tales last year, the authors all agreed to sign limited edition box sets of the four Ox-Tales books.

Craigie Aitchison and 13 other artists were then given a box set each and asked to create an original work of art. The result is fourteen striking and unique pieces, which reflect the artists' responses to the Ox-Tales stories.

The artists' pieces will be auctioned at the Saatchi Gallery on 16 March, and the event will raise money for Oxfam's life-changing work around the world. The non-customised box sets signed by the authors will also be on sale at the auction, priced £450 each.

Terry Dansiger Miles, Director of Timothy Taylor Gallery, who represented Aitchison, said:

"This work was one of the last things that Craigie was working on before his sad demise. He had been very excited about being involved and desperately wanted to complete the work. Sadly he was unable to realise this, although he had finished the front panel.

"In order to present the work in the fashion that he would have been happy with, a studio technician finished the remainder of the box in his chosen colours."

Antony Gormley, whose piece is entitled 'Lost Subject' and reflects his fascination with the human form, said:

"I am really happy to have been able to contribute to the Ox-Tales box set idea; it is thoughtful, creative and connective. Oxfam provides intelligent and sustainable support to people being confronted by life-changing events in countries all over the world. Whether we are directly responsible, as in the case of climate change refugees, or indirectly in relation to commodity wars or the breakdown of social order, it provides a way in which we can at least try to make those changed lives better."

To view a selection of the artworks and download a copy of the catalogue, see: www.oxfam.org.uk/artboxes

Profile Books' Mark Ellingham, the editor of Ox-Tales, said:

"The Ox-Tales box sets are stunning and are real collectors' items which we hope will raise a large amount of money for Oxfam's work fighting poverty and suffering around the world. We are hugely excited to have such talented artists and writers involved with this project, and are very grateful to them for all their support."

The Ox-Tales Artists Boxes are a result of a unique collaboration between writers and artists, and the auction will give collectors the chance to own a truly one-off piece, created by a leading contemporary artist. Oxfam is hoping that the auction will raise around £200,000 to support their work fighting poverty and suffering around the world.