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.

Swaying and dancing to a hypnotic tune, Kokopelli abandons himself to the rhythms of his music. His long hair blows in the breeze as he pipes a plaintive melody on his flute. J. Blas sculpts the legendary deity in elaborate detail. He first cuts metal sheets and hammers them into three-dimensional shape. Welded together, they are adorned with airy cut-out work and finished with lead-free paint.

Kokopelli dates back to pre-historic times; regarded as a deity, he is usually depicted with a humped back, playing a flute. Ancient legends suggest Kokopelli was a Toltec trader who traveled from central Mexico to the United States' southwestern deserts and mountains, where he is featured in the form of rock art dating thousands of years. Kokopelli played his flute to announce his arrival and according to Pueblo legends, he carried seeds, babies and blankets in his hump which he offered to the maidens he seduced.

To the Hopi, Kokopelli plays his flute to draw heat from the Earth and thus make the seeds grow. His name derives from Koko ("wood") and pilau ("hump"). Kokopelli is believed to be present whenever life comes forth from seed – plant or animal.

Artisan Maria Estela Perlera de Portillo elevates a grateful prayer to heaven with this gorgeous creation that pays honour to El Salvador's enchanting nature and culture. Painted by hand, this exquisitely crafted pinewood wall cross portrays the region's fauna, flora and history in colourful hues, capturing these blessed lands' joyous nature.

Enjoy the serenity just as peace-loving doves find tranquility in the sky's idyllic gardens. Andean artisan Asunta Pelaez creates 'Blue Doves' at her Lima, Peru workshop mastering the centuries-old reverse painted glass technique. Incorporating floral motifs, Pelaez paints her design on the reverse side of the pane of glass, which she then sets in the outer frame. For Pelaez, her artistic style and techniques have become her way of life as she seeks to dedicate her time to what satisfies her most.

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

For the World Peace Project, Andean artisan Asunta Pelaez painted 'Sunset Doves' at her Lima workshop, imagining an idyllic scene with a pair of peace-loving doves that "represent the feminine and masculine duality as it shapes human interaction and solidarity."

She explains that the floral hues and placement of each dove convey the uninhibited harmony of nature. Pelaez works in orange hues to transmit a sensation of creativity and enthusiasm, inspired by the colours of the sky at sundown.

A master of the centuries-old reverse painted glass technique, a style that has become her lifelong passion, Pelaez paints her multicolour design on the reverse side of a pane of glass that she places in a white-painted wooden frame.

Blue waves of colour, floral details and advanced techniques create this gorgeous set of two raffia wall accents crafted in Ghana by Robert Ayine Anaba. Inspired by nature and determined to spread a message of peace, the artisan handweaves the pieces in a round shape, painting them by hand for a sweet look.

A sleeping woman evokes serenity in this beautiful mask from Balinese artisan Luh Mas Sri Pertamiari. Crafted by hand from local suar wood, leafy vines surround the peaceful face with a pretty flower resting upon the forehead. Inspired by nature, the artisan allows the natural grain to shine, adding to the calming feel of the wall decor.

Delicate lotus flowers and leaves adorn this hand-carved wood relief wall panel, crafted from native suar wood. Presented by Luh Mas Sri Pertamiari, the lotus is a common symbol in Hinduism and represents rebirth.

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.

"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."

Moonlight warms the night high in the Andes where cool breeze from distant peaks caresses the senses. A musician plays his music, sending clear and sonorous notes into the velvet night. Working on a handloom, Teofilo Choquecahua conjures a song of peace in joyous color. His music summons a dove in this cubist style alpaca tapestry.

A hem at the top permits insertion of a display rod (not included).