Bran Symondson is one artist whose commitment to peace through art is unmistakable.
This ex-special forces soldier and reportage photographer creates striking artwork repudiating violence and advocating for peace. His AK-47 art pieces, which are coveted by celebrities, politicians and monarchs around the world, have assumed great relevance during Remembrance Day commemorations, especially, following the collaborative AKA Peace Exhibition of 2012 which he initiated and participated in.
We asked Bran 10 questions about his approach to art, his recent work, his views on violence today and his self-declared mission of peace. To see the full 10 questions please do get in touch and for high-res images.
HOFA: Bran, your art is particularly relevant during Remembrance Day celebrations especially in recent years. How has the popularity of your art around this time influenced you over the years?
BRAN: “Ever since I was a kid, Remembrance Sunday was always a big day in the calendar for me. We had a memorial and an army base in the local town where I grew up and I would watch as many Gurkhas would parade through the streets. I always felt it was very important to pay my respects to those who lost their lives even before I’d learnt about how or why they lost their lives. Going to Afghanistan with the military years later and losing 4 good friends while I was serving have made this day of respect and remembrance all the more personal to me. So, I’m grateful that my art can be part of the commemorations around Remembrance Day and it’s something I sometimes strive for. For instance, for the 100th anniversary of the First World War last year, I took an original 303 Enfield rifle from the war and made an art piece with it. I felt that as an artist and an ex-soldier, it was my duty to mark the centenary of the Great War.”
HOFA: In a matter of weeks, we’ll enter the last year of the second decade of the millennium and we see a strong convergence between peace activism/advocacy and environmental activism. Experts agree that climate change is increasingly a factor in war & peace today. Has this influenced your art in anyway and how do you see this influencing how you pursue your mission of peace in the future?
BRAN: “It has influenced my art a lot. I’ve been saying for quite a few years that the next major conflict in the world will probably be over environmental issues. Things have gotten to a boiling point and simply cannot be ignored. In the next 10-15 years, our lives will be very different if we don’t do something now. And I’m not just talking about climate change. I’m also talking about the predatory exploitation of nature for ivory, skin, gems and illicit drugs that’s directly and indirectly endangering the environment in parts of Africa and South America for instance.
These issues are especially close to my heart and it’s hard not to get upset when you get into it because the more you learn, the more ridiculous it all seems. When I make an art piece, I try very hard to get this message across and make people ask questions. Sometimes, I feel like I should do more, but there’s only so much time in a day.”
HOFA: Your art is dedicated to wresting peace and beauty from the grips of fear and violence. This commitment is very much about optimism isn’t it? How do you feed your optimism and how would you encourage others to do the same? And do you have a favourite peace quote that speaks to the heart of your commitments?
BRAN: “I am deeply committed to hope and optimism. I think in every ugly or violent situation, there’s always a moment of beauty unspoiled by the ugliness. This was my experience in Afghanistan when we (myself and other soldiers) were in conflict zones. There were these moments when we were just surrounded by natural beauty – flowering opium poppies, blossoming pomegranate trees and the sound of a trickling stream. These little beautiful moments fed my optimism. It was like I could almost always see a light at the end of the tunnel.
Besides the beauty of nature, my optimism also feeds off the people around me, listening to them and how they’ve dealt with situations in their lives, the pain and struggles they’ve gone through and overcome. It’s all part of life’s journey and you need to give yourself hope and optimism just to survive day-to-day sometimes. I think there’s an overload of reports of grief and doom and gloom around the world, and we need moments like these to give us a break from all the bullshit and crap we are fed.
There are a lot of profound quotes out there, but one struck a chord some years ago. I was in Barbados and I saw something written on a wall. I then subsequently used it as the name for one of my environmental artworks and that is – ‘For everything to change we need everyone’. It is one of my favourite peace quotes because it applies to how we can save the environment and how we can work together to secure and build peace.”
HOFA: We see a lot of lingering armed conflicts around the world and a few hotspots that seem like they could flare-up at any moment. Moreover, the issue of armed conflict today is multipronged isn’t it. It’s about the arms trade, proxy warfare and the lucrative arms industry. What’s your reflection on this and what’s your message of peace for 2019 and 2020? Specifically, what do you think artists and their audiences should do more to secure and build peace?
BRAN: “I think lingering conflicts and hotspots have been the norm for the better part of the 20th century. And I feel like many of the issues we see with violence today have been the same throughout history. It boils down to politics, religion, power and ego, and people getting caught-up in these elements of any conflict. History is peppered with instances of unnecessary and avoidable conflicts. Overall, what artists can do is raise the profile of these hotspots by expressing themselves in ways that can shine a spotlight and empower people to take meaningful action.”
Bran Symondson’s work is on display at HOFA Gallery (London), HOFA Gallery (Los Angeles) and HOFA Gallery (Mykonos).
.jpg){kind=tracking}