Our world is full of images that bombard us with visualizations of violence, chaos and war. They come at us with a ferocity that cannot be ignored, demanding our attention and overwhelming our senses. Envisioning peace, however, is nuanced and subtle. Visualizations of peace do not clamor for our attention, rather, they require contemplation and deep reflection to be understood.
The paradoxical relationship between peace and conflict has intrigued me for years. When Molly Merryman, Ph.D., associate professor at Kent State University’s School of Peace and Conflict Studies (SPCS), invited me to collaborate on a project exploring this very topic, I jumped at the opportunity. I proposed a multi-tiered collaboration, inviting a group of high school students who regularly visited my studio through a grant from Art Possible Ohio, to join with Masters level students at SPCS, in creating a mural.
These high school students are far from ordinary. Confronted with a range of learning and behavioral challenges, they have faced life experiences many others have not—marked by trauma and conflict. For them, navigating peaceful conflict resolution is a daily effort, one that has made them thoughtful, resilient, and insightful. They wrestle with profound questions and offer perspectives that are both powerful and deeply personal. The SPCS students shared a similar depth of experience. Coming from African countries shaped by war, political unrest, and trauma, they, too, understood conflict intimately. Yet through this project, all the students came together as equals—united by a shared pursuit of peace and a collective vision brought to life through the mural.
Beginning in October 2024, we studied how artists throughout history have depicted peace and conflict. We explored how peace can be visually elevated amid chaos, using color, light, and texture to create contrast and subtlety. We drew, painted, told stories, and learned from one another. By the end of April 2025, the mural was complete.
Leading this group journey has challenged and inspired me. At times, the idea of peace felt naive, considering the turbulent changes facing our country as we endeavored through this process. This project has reaffirmed the importance of peacebuilding, however, showing that, through creativity and collaboration, peace is both possible and powerful, as a perpetual work in progress.
Special notes of interest:
Dove – Pays homage to Picasso’s “Dove of Peace” which was chosen as the emblem for the First International Peace Conference in Paris in 1949, and also, in contrast, to the artist’s moving anti-war painting, “Guernica”. The dove is both luminous and somewhat transparent, arising over the words “Chaos” and “Peace.”
Boat– Represents the collaborative journey of students, working to overcome obstacles and challenges in the pursuit of peace.
“4 dead in Ohio”– Commemorates the May 4, 1970 tragedy that inspired the legacy of the KSU School of Peace and Conflict Studies, reflecting on the iconic image of the tragedy and the musical lyrics by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
Student reading a book – Represents the meeting of students from different backgrounds learning together, showing that peace education is an important, ongoing process.
Vines, leaves and grass – Illustrates how growth continues despite destructive forces in the world, overcoming tragedy and restoring peace.
Houses and buildings in background – Represents community and safe places to call home.
Sun and sky – Represents the dawn of a new day.
Patterned border – Pays homage to two SPCS students from African countries, with patterns representing hope.
Cat – Pays homage to Tibs the Studio cat, and also to all of the pets who bring us peace.
See media about the mural on my press page.
Life is an Adventure!
BZTAT
