art wall decor

Filiberto Chali draws inspiration from his beloved Guatemala to express his fervent desire for peace. "This is my own unique representation of world peace," the artist explains. "The corn symbolizes an abundance of food for everyone on Earth so there will be happiness. The four colors of the corn means there will be no more discrimination for the color of our skin, as nature has taught us. The lighted candles illuminate the four cardinal points in the Maya's Mother Earth. They represent the flame of peace we all yearn for. And the most important image is the white dove, a symbol of peace in the whole world."

Titled La Paz in Spanish.

"I convey peace with beautiful crystals that reflect the sunlight and illuminate our hearts and souls. Let's look for peace, which is what gives meaning to our lives. Let's be light, not darkness," says Alejandra Paiz, who crafts this one-of-a-kind beaded suncatcher depicting the universal symbol of peace — a dove holding an olive branch.

"This suncatcher represents hope and the desire for a new and peaceful beginning on Earth, made of components associated with purity and spirituality.

"I say a prayer for peace," the Guatemalan artisan continues. "And I ask that we pray it together. 'No more wars. We want peace. May this peace dove reach all the homes of the world.'

"The principles of peace are love, justice and truth. Nothing is more valuable than peace, and it's the basic starting point for humanity to progress. Here I share sensations of peace with the beautiful crystals that reflect the sun's light to illuminate the heart and soul."

The artisan handcrafts this stunning suncatcher from crystal, glass and pewter beads, stainless steel ring and wire, nickel chains and a zinc dove pendant.

"This is an imaginative composition that shows how close some of our communities are. This batik composition shows the unity of people coming together after war," Samuel Ashong explains. He is referring to refugees who have been displaced from their villages in times of war, and built their homes close to each other in new locations for protection. Ashong details people coming together forming a new community, the close-knit rooftops a symbol of their hope for peace and safety. Includes a card paper mat board.

Peace-bearing doves bestow love and friendship as they flutter through the blue skies, representing the duality of feminine and masculine energies as they form a bond between the brain and heart. Floral hues and calming doves symbolize the mutual harmony of nature as it exists in the absence of human disturbance.

Andean artisan Asunta Pelaez creates 'Sky Doves' at her Lima workshop, mastering the centuries-old reverse painted glass technique, a style that has become her lifelong passion.

Pelaez paints her multicolor design on the reverse side of a pane of glass that she places in a white-painted wooden frame. Inspired by the colors of the sky, Pelaez paints in blue and white to evoke a sensation of calm and guardianship.

"This sculpture represents the way to keep forgiving each other, loving each other, and to be at peace with yourself, because we are all brothers," explains Balinese artisan Wayan Rendah, conveying this vision in his superbly hand-carved relief panel.

"I is inspired by the turmoil of the world, which is completely uncertain, which causes unrest and difficulties for all countries, Where each party shows a high sense of ego and feels the most right, without realizing it.

"We are all brothers and sisters in this world. There should be no such thing as enmity. In the Hindu sloka verses, the Wedadikatan Sloka — "Wasumdhwam Kutumbhaka" — means let's sit together and shake hands looking for a way to an agreement to achieve world peace."

The artist continues, "The way to make peace for the common good in society and the world is to mediate, to sit down together to find the best solution for problems, and to solve them for the sake of mutual peace and the world. My hope is that all people can respect each other to avoid hostility and injustice in life and society.

"We must forgive and love one another in order to achieve peace. We are all brothers and sisters in this world where there should be no such thing as hatred.

"Love and peace are powerful concepts that inevitably go hand in hand, because one does not exist without the other."

A multicolor palette of vibrant tones embellishes Peruvian master artist Teofilo Choquecahua's newest tapestry, created for the World Peace Project.

"This tapestry is a message of world peace from my Andean worldview," explains the artisan. "On a daily basis, man has experiences without empathy with his neighbor, because of the lack of honesty between each one of the individuals. It is for this reason that my tapestry is designed to reflect that if we cultivate honesty, we will all be loyal and without any violence. Like the doves that travel the face of the earth in peace, where there is understanding and trust in each other, there is no indifference or guilt for not being fair."

This handloomed tapestry is crafted with an alpaca, cotton, wool and polyester blend. Drawing inspiration from doves, and determined to spread a message of peace and honesty, Teofilo designed an intricate pattern of traditional regional motifs.