Peace Paintings from U.S.A., India and Martinique Exhibited in Nagasaki

August 09, 2014

Kids' Guernica paintings fromU.S.A., India and Mrtinique were displayed in Kids' Guernica Exhibition for the 69th Peace Memorial Day in Nagasaki, Japan.

From U.S.A.

"IMS for Peace"

The students at Indiantown Middle School completed this mural in the spring of 2010.  Every student enrolled in art classes worked on the mural as well as additional students, faculty and staff.  The mural was completed in a loose, style inspired by graffiti art.  Each student was encouraged to add words and images that they felt related to the idea of peace, which was then unified with a solid, yellow background.

Jennifer LoveGironda

From Bangalore, India

The peace painting was created by Indian Children who had experienced child labor and Japanese children from Fukushima. It was a good opportunity to know each other for both Indian and Japanese children through sharing their own hard experiences and creating a huge peace painting together.The workshop was organized by Born Free Art School and Born Free Art Japan.

From Martinique

Kids' Guernica in Martinique was coordinated by an Italian artist Savina Tarsitano as a part of her project Creativity in Motion for a social integration and a responsible transformation of the local community.  In 2007 the group of children and young people participated to Kids’Guernica project and they realized their own canvas entitled: “BREAKING THE CHAIN OF SLAVERY” a message of peace, tolerance, love and friendships.

The Italian artist Savina Tarsitano visited Nagasaki during the Kids' Guernica Exhibition for Peace Memorial day. She talked about her experience of Kids' Guernica in Martinique to children in Nagasaki. They were deeply impressed by her talk about Martinique emphasizing the importance of bringing hearts together and having a dream for the future.

Kids' Guernica for Peace Memorial Day in Nagasaki

August 9, 2014

Kids' Guernica Exhibition was held for the 69th Peace Memorial Day in Nagasaki Peace Park. Kids' Guernica peace paintings created by Nagasaki children were exhibited with other peace paintings by children in different places including some foreign countries. These paintings expressed their wish for peace not to repeat such a tragedy of atomic bombs.

”World Peace from Nagasaki Megami Bridge: Tamako and Maria” by 47 children of 175 members of Club Kids Peace in Tomachi Elementary School. This peace painting to represent a Tamako doll sent to U.S. from Nagasaki and a doll with blue eyes sent to their school.

   

"Future Home Town" by Children from Minami Sanrikucho and Minamai Shimabara Children's Association (2012) 
  When Minami Shimabara City suffered from Unzen Fugendake Volcano disaster twenty two years ago, the city received a lot of help from other parts of Japan. Now it is helping Minami Sanrikucho affected by the catastrophic earthquake in Eastern Japan. Minami Shimabara city invited some children from Minami Sanrikucho. This painting was a result of collaborative work by 22 children from Minami Shimabara and 33 children from Minami Sanrikucho.

   







"The Relay of Life" (2014) by Students of Nishi Isahaya Junior High School
One of the survivors of atomic bombing gave a lecture at the school. At the end of her lecture, she told the students that it was not a hand shake but a relay of life. She also added that survivors of atomic bombing would be disappeared in the near future and emphasized the necessity to relay the baton of life. The bridge symbolized their wish to be a bridge to connect us to the world.

"Flowers for Nuclear Boms" (2014) by Sakurababa Junior High School Art Club

An atomic bomb codenamed as "Fat Man" was demolished in the center of the painting. It was symbolized a wish to abolish nuclear weapons and a white pigeon from the atomic bomb showed a wish for the peaceful world without any war. Children who were born and grew up in Nagasaki should think seriously about the meaning of peace and covey it to the next generation. They would be happy if other people see their painting and think like them.

"Link to the World to Spread Peace" (2014) by 6th Grade Students of Ohura Elementary School
Each of them had been thinking seriously about the meaning of peace through listening to the speech of survivors from atomic bombing and visiting the atomic bombing museum in their school life. They thought it very important to connect to people in the world and expressed it through some symbols such as pigeons, a buffalo and a lotus flower. A peace statue in the center shows a message of peace from Nagasaki.

“Bring Our Hearts Together With Music” (2014) by 38 Children of Hirameki Kindergarten
This kindergarten focuses on music to nurture children’s rich sensitivities. they have many opportunities to play music through the year. Music is a common language across the different nations in the world. The painting shows a wish to our peaceful hearts together through playing and listening to beautiful music.

"Thanks for the Linkage of Life" (2014) by Children of Hirado Kindergarten
This kindergarten teaches the importance of life to younger children, planting and growing vegetables and fruits such as radishes and water melons. They can realize the linkage of life through these activities.  

Other peace paintings from other parts of Japan

"Smile of the Earth" by Students of Kagomachi Elementary School in Tokyo

　



Toyono Nursey Shool in Neyaga City, Osaka