SEATTLE, Wash. — Zoya Eshwar is an 11-year-old from the Seattle area who understands the power a paintbrush can hold.
She is currently working on a massive peace monument for the war-torn Middle East.
“Art is very meaningful to me because I believe that art has the power to heal and bring people together,” Zoya told KIRO 7 News when we stopped by her art studio.
Global Peace Initiative searched the world for an entire year for the right artist for the job and commissioned Zoya to complete the 21-foot monument.
“It’s going to be made out of the shell casings from the war to show that something used to destroy can be used to make something beautiful and peaceful,” Zoya said.
Her painting features a dove, which signifies peace, offering a hand an olive branch that turns into a paintbrush.
“On the hand, there’s a wristband, a friendship band, if you will,” Zoya told KIRO 7. “It says shalom, which means peace, and an infinity sign showing everlasting peace.”
In the background, the sixth grader painted a heart, signifying that everyone should speak the language of love.
Zoya has been painting since she was two years old, under the guidance of her mother who is a local art instructor.
At six years old, she started Pastel Souls through Zoya’s Rainbow Touch, a youth-led initiative to create a safe space for kids to create art. The group started with four children and quickly grew to over 100 participants.
Zoya told KIRO that once the monument is created, her Pastel Souls team will paint it.
She said she’s excited to create something that will inspire positivity and unity miles away from home.
“As I always say, let’s spread colors in everybody’s life – one step at a time,” Zoya told KIRO 7.
“I’ve been working with art prodigies for nearly 3 decades - I’ve never encountered a young artist with this level of talent,” Global Peace Initiative founder Ben Valenty said in a news release.
The Global Peace Initiative has placed several public monuments throughout the world. “We only commission young artists to design our monuments because kids suffer the most in times of war,” said Valenty.
You can learn more about the Global Peace Initiative by clicking here.