artisan goods

"Sugar cane is one of our most important natural products, so we thought we'd celebrate it by designing a collection in its honor," the Jiménez Family explains. The design features half cylinders of lush green jade mined in Guatemala. Sterling silver encasings add to the necklace's spectacular splendor. Regarded as the stone of immortality by the Maya people, jade is said to attract love.

Perched atop a handsome horned mask, a bird leans down to touch its forehead. Salihu Ibrahim carves the piece by hand in the style of the Senufo people of Mali and the northern Ivory Coast. "This is the shy kalao bird," the artisan explains. "Seeing one is a good omen, as they are symbols of peace."

Brilliant color conjures fervent feelings, both good and bad. On the left, a person is pensive while, on the right, he throws his head back in laughter. "These are the happy, sad and thoughtful moods of a person," artist Sunil Jaiswal says.

An ancient Maya legend tells how the gods gave a specific mission to each being they created. But they realized none had been chosen to carry thoughts and desires from one place to another," says Rosa Padillas of Rosa Roja. "So they carved a small piece of jade into a a slender arrowhead, and it became a beautiful hummingbird with iridescent feathers — the x ts'unu'um. Its mission was to carry good thoughts to all human beings, even those who had died.

"Today, if a hummingbird appears in front of you, it is delivering a message of love from someone who is thinking of you. And if we wear the image of a hummingbird, we carry good thoughts and desires to others.

"The hummingbird legend says that we can fly to the six cardinal points of the universe, therefore the hummingbird is the ideal link to transmit thoughts of love, of respect, tolerance and peace to all creatures on the planet."

The talented Mexican artisan reinterprets the legend as a necklace of dramatic beauty. She creates a hummingbird pendant in the pre-Hispanic style, and adds an agate geode representing the hummingbird's nest. It poses on a strand of gray cultured pearls.

[This is a single sculpture; photo showcases two angles]"'No War' stands for the human right to love within a world of peace and friendship," says the artist, "While historically and socially constructed ethnic and cultural identities further divide the collective, each human retains the right to choose which face they show to the world; one of love, or one of hate. There will be war if there is a conflict, but there will be peace if there is love.

"This world's human race is diverse," the artist continues. "I want to show that ethnic and cultural differences can coexist peacefully. If humans have love and good friendship, they can create a beautiful world."

Depicted on this sculpture are polar opposite faces, one that seeks peace, and another that desires war. Thailand's Somyot Sawasdee wishes to advance global peace, and to create a beautiful world for future generations. He strives to help advance that goal through the power of art.

Sawasdee crafted this one-of-a-kind sculpture from local recycled paper mixed with cement for rigidity. In a process perfected through years of experimentation, the artist intentionally supports efforts to "divert waste from landfills, to further societal cooperation."The artist explains (translated from Thai), the sculpture "holds the word 'NO WAR,' in which N = human; O = love; W = world; A = peace; R = friendship."

She sits alone in a chair, dreaming of the one she loves. Her smile is hopeful. Passionate colors envelop the woman in a portrait by Harman. "Love is an affection that all human beings feel. Whether the love of a man or woman, love of nature, or anything. As long as people use love, the result will be good," the Javanese artist confides.

Many cultures believe that doves are good omens, symbols of peace, notes the artist. Inspired by the beauty and tenderness of these birds, Theus depicts three rosy doves in his expressionist style. "This is a visual message in which I show the gentle birds in flight," The Anden artist says. "They delight us with their dynamic harmony. This painting was created to share a message of unity, love and collectivity."

Titled Vuela paloma vuela in Spanish.

Crafted with a dazzling array of bright colours and patterns, Emmanuel Atiemoh Yeboah's fabric collage will brighten any room it hangs in. The artisan uses batik, a wax-resist dyeing process, on calico cotton to create the mask motif, sprinkling oil paint over the background for depth. A black ceiba wood frame provides the finishing touch.

In Balinese culture, Tri Kaya Parisudha is a philosophy that promotes positive thoughts, words and deeds, composed by three purified actions known as Manacika, Wacika and Kayika. Artisans from the Subrata Family in Indonesia carve and paint by hand a compelling suar wood sculpture of a man practicing Manacika and looking to achieve harmony and peace in life by the power of positive thinking.

"Positive thinking helps people do right and speak the truth. Positive and right thinking are the way to a harmonious life. With right and positive thinking, our behavior will be good and positive, including with our words. If all of creation thinks positively and does right, the world will be peaceful and not have more war, violence, or conflict, and so we will all prosper," say the artisans.

Balinese artisan Aricadia paints an intriguing portrait of an expectant mother surrounded by gentle white doves, a symbol of peace. "Blue represents the sky and yellow is the grain of wheat that grows in the ground. All move as desired, without pollution and war. All went as desired without pollution and war. Just like the doves that welcome him where all babies will be born with cries of happiness, not sadness.

"A mother always does and spreads kindness for her baby so that she can give goodness and peace to the world. Good luck to all nations. In this world, we do not need weapons to achieve a feeling of peace, we only need love and compassion. Peace is love and mutual giving.

"Starting from ourselves to our neighbors, our environment, animals, plants, and the universe — the best leaders think about the people of the world, not their own ego. Because life is a gift from God, so live the day and live it with love."

"We as God's creatures must have peaceful feelings and hearts. A peaceful heart allows us to forgive each other for all mistakes, maintain good relations with fellow creatures of God and be grateful for what we have and are. If we can live from the heart, we will feel grateful and will always be at peace" says Aldi.

In his painting, free-flying doves symbolize world peace, and two hands shake in accord, forming a united, yet diverse forest in this dreamy acrylic painting fashioned in the surrealist style.

"Standing as a metaphor for the process of globalization and free movement of people, the greeting of hands is the unification of all continents of the globe, while the trees bridge the gap as the diverse population of the globe."

The artist says his painting interprets world peace as the only way for the relationship between God, humans and the environment to prosper — to be able to forgive each other and set aside common differences.

"Peace can be realized by mutual tolerance and love for one another. This can start from the smallest circle, namely the family. Instill a sense of love and peace from an early age so that in the future there will be mutual respect," artist Ida Bagus Lawa Bargawa confides.

"Peace is always beautiful, always starts with a smile, and any problem can be discussed. Differences are natural and, as long as they don't hurt each other, peace can still be realized. Peace is closely related to mutual tolerance, listening, and understanding, and reducing unnecessary debate is an important key.

"Keep peace and maintain it, because to get it requires a great sacrifice. Peace cannot be maintained by violence, it can only be achieved by understanding peace within ourselves and peace in the world. Peace is a daily, weekly, and monthly process of gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, and quietly building new structures.

"My hope for world peace is that what is an aspiration for the progress of a country will be reflected in the harmonious relations of all countries in this world. For this reason, all countries must be able to help each other stabilize the world's economy. Welfare within a country will have a good impact on the path of world peace."

To illustrate these thoughts and dreams, the artisan brings us a captivating composition made with traditional batik techniques. Crafted in Bali, it is a tribute to peace and unity, depicting joined hands surrounding the world and upholding the peace symbol. Every element adds a message of friendship, love and cooperation.