A Bridge to a Peaceful Future

Artist Statement:

This is a 21-feet monument made in hopes to bring peace to the people of the Middle East. On one side of the monument, there is a dove holding an olive stem, which represents peace. On the other side, a hand is reaching out to accept the olive stem, and the stem turns into a paintbrush at the bottom. This shows that art has the power to heal and bring people together. The hand has a bracelet with words ‘Shalom & Salaam’ which means peace in different languages with an infinity symbol in the middle, meaning everlasting peace, and behind the dove and hand is a heart, showing that peace and art come from the heart and everyone should speak the language of love. When I was asked to design this monument for Middle East peace, I felt so excited because it gave me a chance to use my art to make a difference. My dad told me how this monument would go to a place where war has hurt so many people, especially children, and I wanted to help. I believe art can heal, and through this monument, I wanted to show how art can turn something painful into something beautiful and hopeful.

This monument is going to be made from melted missile casing, leftover from the war to show that something that was used for destruction can be used to make something beautiful and peaceful. I hope this monument inspires people to see that peace is possible and that art can be a powerful way to bring us closer together. This project made me feel like I was part of something bigger, and I hope it helps spread a message of love and healing to everyone who sees it.

“Let’s spread colors in everybody’s lives, one step at a time!”