Other Artisan Peacebuilders

Moon Dove by Huong

Peace Mural

Nearly 15 years in the making, Huong’s Peace Mural is the culmination of 30 years of searing memories that brings history to life and depicts the universal pain of war and hope for peace. In its entirety, the Peace Mural is over 800 feet in length and 8 feet tall, comprised of nearly 2,000 paintings. The exhibition often includes a number of free-standing pieces from Huong's private war/peace collection.

The Peace Mural is an ongoing, developing project as new themes continue to be added. The presentation captures highly evocative images and concepts depicting multiple themes including Voices of Children; Voices of the Troops; Mothers in War; The Peace of all Nations; The Flag at War; The Displaced and Disabled; The Cry of Refugees; No More Torture; Poets Against War; and The Wall of Injustice.

Far more than simply an art exhibit, the Peace Mural is a catalyst to action as it evokes participation and civic engagement, calling forth from viewers a response through reflection, dialogue and action for peace and justice. Viewers are invited to “sign on” for peace by adding their own thoughts and comments to panels scattered throughout the Peace Mural.

Exhibitions are typically accompanied with a series of community events, dialogues, educational programs, artistic presentations and public actions. Most of these sevents take place on site at the exhibition and are sponsored by a variety of local partner organizations.

The Peace Mural is both deeply spiritual and politically reflective as it calls forth citizen and community response. But most of all, it resonates a challenge and hope for peace in ways that only art can do. It inspires, it disturbs and it evokes personal responsibility. The Peace Mural is an expression of “people’s art” as it informs and shapes civil society and stimulates vibrant participatory democracy. Read more about Huong's Peace Mural.

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Akawelle Jewelry

"Even something as ugly as a bullet that was fired in a war can be made beautiful if you are willing to work to change it into something else." - Lovetta Conto, 16, designer and former refugee

"The history of each necklace begins in Liberia. In the part of Liberia where I am from, many thousands of bullets were fired during the war. Even though the war ended in 2003, the spent shell casings can still be found, scattered across the land in places. Handcrafted, the leaf pendant is made from melted bullet shells, the part that is left over after the bullet is fired. The bead is the actual bottom of the bullet shell."

Read more about the jewelry designed by Conto who was a finalist for the 2008 International Children's Peace Prize given by KidsRight and The Nobel Peace Prize Winner's Committee.

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Photos from FreshHome.com

Peace Art Project Cambodia: Turning AK-47s into Art

Go World Travel Magazine - Sasha, 33, is maintaining a family artistic tradition — she is the great-great-great-granddaughter of the master landscape painter, John Constable (1776-1837). Every generation of the family since has produced at least one artist. “I’ve been surrounded by art; you can’t look around this house without seeing a painting or a drawing or a sculpture,” she says.

Her current project, though, has taken her far away from this quiet village. In July 2003, she and small weapons specialist, Neil Wilford, established the Peace Art Project Cambodia (PAPC) based in the capital, Phnom Penh. “Neil was working for the European Union on a disarmament project and the idea started as a conversation over a couple of beers, discussing the possibility of setting up a program loosely based on the Mozambique ‘Swords to Ploughshares’ scheme.” This project, begun in 1992, offered tools — such as ploughs, sewing machines — to anyone who handed over a weapon following the end of the long-running civil war in Mozambique.

Since the end of the decades of armed conflict in 1998, Cambodia has been dealing with a huge amount of weaponry still at large among the general population. Between 1999 and 2004, the government, with the help of the European Union Assistance on Curbing Small Arms in Cambodia, has destroyed 125,000 weapons. Huge bonfires of firearms have publicly displayed Cambodia’s determination to create a weapons-free society.

Some of these weapons, however, have been donated to the PAPC and are sculpted, forged or welded into artworks by student artists. Birds, flowers, even an elephant, are some of their creations.

Read full story on Sasha Constable's art
View more sculptures and furniture by Constable

Updated on 9/27/2009