L.A. unveils monument to peace on anniversary
A 16-year-old in Mexico is creating a 22-foot sculpture for Ukraine
When it is installed on its temporary Liverpool, England, pedestal in May, this pantheon to peace will stand 22 feet tall.
Its gleaming aluminum classical figure stands upon a broken Earth hand over heart, reaching to the heavens with a book of knowledge upon which sits a dove.
And, in the figure's outstretched hand is the Ukrainian flag.
Today, exactly one year after Russian forces invaded its neighbor Ukraine, Los Angeles will get the first peek at a 4-foot maquette — a small preliminary model — of the sculpture and hear from its 16-year-old creator.
The unveiling kicks off a weekend of activities in Southern California in support of the war-torn country hosted by Ukrainian Culture Center Los Angeles and 20 other organizations.
The Ukrainian peace monument's journey, from the hands of a teenager in a small Mexican village to Los Angeles to Liverpool — and eventually to its permanent home in Ukraine — in some ways echoes the wartorn country's emergence onto the world's stage.
filled her school notebooks with sophisticated portraits. When she couldn't find art supplies, her canvases were flat stones and boards. She mixed her own paint using local dyes and chalk.
By 11, the artist was declared a mini-master. Her drawings were always about everyday life, her grandmother's weathered hands weaving a basket, a close-up of her father, a field worker, a still-life of lemons. She didn't dare dabble in protest painting. It would be too dangerous.
Eventually, Garcia-Morales drew acclaim for her versatility. She could paint in multiple styles: hyperrealism, surrealism and abstract. And that is what drew the attention of Ben Velasky, founder of Global Peace Initiative, who commissioned the Ukrainian sculpture.
When Velasky spoke to the young artist, he said she was well aware of the war in Ukraine.
“She, like most artists,” Velasky said, “are really bothered by suffering. While you and I might have an outlet, we talk to our friends, our families, our spouses, a young artist like this, their way of communicating, what drives and motivates them is when they are doing something creatively.”
Artist's message
Indeed Garcia-Morales, in the prerecorded video that will play during the maquette's unveiling, speaks of her sympathy for the country and people a world away.
“We know that you are in a very critical situation,” she says sitting in front of her work, vibrant paintings of flowers, trees, landscapes.
Velasky, who has spearheaded two other youth peace monuments since founding the organization in 2003, said he doesn't give guidelines or specifications to the artists. “What
Artist Osbelit Garcia-Morales in a still from her video message about her creation of the Ukrainian peace monument to be unveiled today to kick off Los Angeles' 1-year anniversary of Russian invasion events.
we wanted was the way she saw it,” he said.
And the clarity, detail, the symbolism Garcia-Morales imbues in her sculpture is incredible, said Velasky.
Two hands hold up this world which is shattered in half. The classical figure stands atop bands that proclaim “Live, Peace” in Ukrainian, Russian, English
and Spanish. Other ribbons proclaim in these same languages: “Forgiveness” and “Tolerance.” The man's chest is covered with patches depicting the nations of the world. Ukraine's patch is at his heart, with his right hand covering it.
“War is created by people who have stopped thinking,” said Velasky, “or who have run out of ideas.”
And that concept is not lost on the artist.
In her video message, Garcia-Morales talks of her wish for peace in Ukraine and around the world. And, she talks about the ugliness of fights and wars. But, she says, conflict isn't only between countries, but also between friends, family.
“(When) we have peace within ourselves, we will be at peace with everyone,” she says.
Sculpture's journey
After today's unveiling, the 4-foot mini version of the peace monument will be housed at the Ukrainian Art Center.
It's an honor to have the sculpture there, said Daria Chiakovsky president of the center.
Since 1986, Chiakovsky has kept her native Ukrainian culture alive in Los Angeles — mostly for folks who emigrated here. But now, at the invasion's oneyear anniversary, she finds herself in a quandary.
For decades, she's wanted to bring awareness to the art and cultural richness of Ukraine. Indeed, one day perhaps build a museum in L.A., she said.
And, now, amidst suffering and the toll the war has taken, the world is indeed aware of Ukrainian culture. But at what cost?
Through the center, she's brought light to Ukrainian culture, she said. But, “over there” in Eastern Europe, “the country itself could cease to exist.”
As citizen soldiers fought and residents fled for safety in the first months after the Russian invasion, Ukrainian artists participated in the annual Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin, Italy. The world was watching. And voting.
The Ukrainian rap group Kalush Orchestra received the most votes in the contest's history for their song “Stefania,” earning their country the right to host the event the following year.
But alas, Ukraine would not be in shape to host, so they gave their proxy to Liverpool, England.
And, to complete the circle, Velasky has arranged for the full-scale Ukrainian peace monument to be unveiled at Eurovision Song Contest 2023, with a televised European audience of potentially more than 160 million.
“We can't place the monument in Ukraine until there's peace,” said Velasky, “so in an incredible twist of irony, we're temporarily housing it in Liverpool.”
And to add a coda to the monument's song, GarciaMorales' masterpiece will be housed at Strawberry Field, a museum that honors the legacy of Beatle John Lennon.
A young artist flourishing in a crime-ridden Mexican town, a country fighting for its independence, the world learning about the cultural richness of Ukraine.
All they are saying is, give peace a chance.