Images via International Alert
International Alert is a peacebuilding charity that's been working with local people in over 25 countries to find peaceful solutions to conflict, wince it was founded in 1986. They also advise governments, organisations, and companies on how to support peace in the world we live in today. Their latest campaign #ART4PEACE is trying to get people engaged in the conversation about peace.
The campaign has worked with 30 artists—including Yoko Ono—to produce works of art for International Alert to auction, raising money for the work they help organise around the world. The auction is online, and ends tonight at eight pm GMT, so take a look at some of the artwork and get bidding!
Yoko Ono - Colours of the Globe
“Remember, each one of us has the power to change the world. Just start talking peace and the message will spread quicker than you think.”
Yoko Ono is an artist, musician, poet and peace activist. Born in 1933 in Tokyo, she is a pioneer of conceptual and performance art. While she might be known as the woman who broke up the Beatles, she's rad AF, and this white globe—complete with a set of colouring pencils—is damn cool.
Jim McElvaney - There Will Be Peace In The Valley Tomorrow
“I think art is a great way to get people thinking about important issues such as peace, as it can cross language barriers and is easily accessible.”
Jim McElvaney is a Brighton-based artist who creates work which is expressive and spontaneous, highlighting influences of expressionism, illustration and abstraction. His work ranges from the surreal and haunting to the witty and charismatic, but it never fails to impress people.
Pang - The Original Bad Idea
“I thought about the root of conflict for this piece, and the idea of crowd psychology and conflict being linked. Ideas can spread quickly among crowds of people. This piece is a satirical drawing showing a head being opened and the brain being examined or 'cleansed' to depict the origins of certain ideas and basic brainwashing.”
Pang trained in oil painting in Italy but has shifted to spray cans in recent years, moving into the world of street art. Her abstract style has seen her become an instant big name in the London street art scene.
Suzko - Dog and Dove
“I believe art is a great way of getting people talking, inspiring different points of view and allowing people to have those contrasting views and emotions without prejudice. There is never a right or wrong interpretation of art, just an opportunity to feel whatever it makes you feel.”
Suzko is an artist and illustrator. She's previously created ‘live art’ pieces at events all over the UK, and her work mostly stems from her preoccupation with the human form, especially the face.
Victor Ash - Wolf and Tank
"The best way art can contribute to avoid conflicts is to be pro-peace rather than anti-war.”
Victor Ash began his artistic career as a graffiti writer in Paris in the early 1980s. He uses themes of contrast between urban environments and nature, and young people's search for identity through subcultures. Famous for his large-scale murals, his works are considered the largest stencil drawings in the world.
