The justification of love as a tool that can unite the world

VISUAL ARTS The topic I chose for the art project is the justification of love as a tool that can unite the world. Love is interpreted in different ways. That is why it is expressed in different ways. The earliest expressions of love can be found in the Biblical stories and the ancient Empires of the world. Love can move mountains as others believe. The world is in a state of disarray today. Countries and people are fighting left and right. There is much hatred and racism going on all over the world. People have grouped themselves based on certain identities. 1 Nature itself is also in a state of confusion. Global warming is the immediate consequence of this state of nature. The world has buried what was once cherished by the universe – LOVE. It is my belief that the resurrection of love can turn the world into a better place it used to be. People need an inspiration of what love can do. Individuals, families, communities and nations need to get the real picture of love and express their feelings across the board. Love unites. Love binds. Love nurtures. Love heals. Love comforts. 2 The consequences of love are numerous that I cannot entirely list here.
I settled on designing a mandala to represent my idea. Although mandalas do have the same overall design, the meanings carried therein differ from one mandala to another. 3 My design is a unique one. It takes the circular nature to represent the globe. The circle also represents the family and community circles. The structure, therefore, applies to all categories of coexistence. I chose the heart and flower to symbolize love. The two are connected in intricate patterns through the circle. My mandala can be extended to infinity. This shows that love is endless and is never restricted to particular situations, persons or communities. Love applies everywhere. Nature needs love to survive. Human beings need love to survive. Without love, peace and unity can never be found. The hearts are joined using strong dots symbolizing bonds. If one of these dots is tampered with, the entire mandala can be ruined. This means that the smallest things that the world takes for granted such as skin color are the cause of chaos that reverberates across nations.
Self-reflection
My piece is the exact representation of what I imagined. Though it is not perfect in terms of drawing and margin alignment, the message I wanted to pass across has come out clearly. I settled on the colors red and purple because these are the colors of love. I also left the impression that the pattern can continue endlessly, signifying the abundant nature of love. Although the hearts are not in completion, their overlapping nature perfects the unity that comes with love. The white background is a symbol of peace. Where there is love there must be peace. Precisely, scholars have presented peace, love and unity together. Several nations across the world have philosophies of peace, love and unity. Kenya, for instance, developed the “ Harambee” slogan that was hinged on peace, love and unity as the defining pillars. 4 If the world can emulate this, it will be difficult to experience constant conflicts, racism and hatred. Human beings would ne coexisting with nature in such a manner that global warming would be an unknown phenomenon.
Bibliography
Omare254. “ Peace, Love Unity – One Nation One People One Kenya.” Accessed November 9,
2014. http://erq254. wordpress. com/2013/03/06/peace-love-unity-one-nation-one-people-one-kenya/
Susan Buchalter, Mandala Symbolism and Techniques: Innovative Approaches for Professionals.
London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2012, 101-257.
Tullian Tchividjian, One Way Love: Inexhaustible Grace for an Exhausted World. Sussex: Davis
C. Cook, 2013, 18-198.