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War & Peace
£800.00
War & Peace
90cm × 120cm
War & Peace was born from observing the ongoing global conflicts of our time and the stark reality that, even in the 21st century, young men are still expected to fight in wars. In a world where people are more connected than ever through social media, and where conversations around mental health, empathy, and wellbeing are increasingly open, the act of sending young men into battle feels profoundly outdated and alien.
Drawing on the spirit of the 1960s hippy movement and counterculture, the painting depicts a young man rebelling against war by lying on a bed of flowers. He writes anti-war messages and symbols of peace onto his rifle, transforming an object of violence into one of protest and resistance. The flower placed within the rifle becomes a powerful emblem of peace, vulnerability, and defiance.
This symbolism directly references Flower Power, the iconic 1967 photograph by American photographer Bernie Boston, taken during the March on the Pentagon. The image captures protester George Harris placing a carnation into the barrel of a soldier’s rifle, an enduring moment of peaceful resistance against the Vietnam War.
Through softness, stillness, and symbolism, War & Peace reflects on masculinity, protest, and the enduring human desire for peace in a world shaped by conflict.
This contemporary figurative painting explores anti-war themes, male vulnerability, counterculture history, and peace symbolism through a modern lens.