As the Ukraine-Russia war rages on, we are watching events unfold in near-real-time. It's heartbreaking and can make anyone feel helpless and sad for those affected. It's why people are protesting, or in the case of many creatives, making art about it. Japanese artist Tanaka Tatsuya is working in his signature miniature scale to create his own anti-war protest in one poignant work of art.
The piece, titled NO WAR, features stacks of paper that have been arranged to look like the levels of a building. But all is not well; a pencil pierces the stack like a missile. Pieces of the building are ravaged and ripped away while a powerline and trees are pushed over from the blast. Among the paper rubble below the stacks is “NO WAR” scrawled atop it. Next to the writing, a soldier hugs his family goodbye.
The powerful message shows devastation on a number of levels. The most obvious is the physical demolition of structures and the surrounding environment. Another is emotional and considers the toll it can have on someone having to say goodbye to a loved one and possibly never seeing them again.
Like all of Tatsuya’s miniature works, the details are just incredible and are a creative way to use everyday objects. Scroll down for more shots of this anti-war piece.