art decor

"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 people 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.

Guatemala's jaspe fabrics are varied and beautiful. A type of ikat weaving, the threads are tie-dyed before they are placed on the floor loom. Members of the Women Artisans of Santa Cruz cooperative place 15 jaspe flags in assorted colours and patterns on a decorative garland. "These represent Tibetan prayer flags," the artisans say. "Their colours have meanings of their own — blue is a symbol of water, red is for fire, green for air and yellow for the earth. The cloth is woven by hand with much love. Many Maya hands have touched each textile, and we're proud to use recycled fabric. For us, recycling is another form of promoting peace and prosperity for ourselves and for our Mother Earth. Please remember that your attitude when installing these prayer banners is very important, and we ask that you take a moment to wish for peace for people everywhere so they can receive the benefits of our blessings. We want everyone to be free and at peace."

A multicolour 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.