Brave Walls is about art, connecting communities and beautiful protest.
An extension of the global Brave campaign, Brave Walls is a collaboration between Amnesty International and the global street art community. We are inviting artists to work with us to help increase awareness of human rights defenders (HRDs), by creating stunning pieces around the world, inspired by the issues HRDs are facing.
The focus of the art is the ordinary people who are standing up for our rights, some at enormous risk. We want the public to see these images, engage emotionally with them, and feel driven to take action to support human rights defenders.
We’re teaming up with street artists to explore the power of art to push boundaries and stimulate debate.
Vhils and Marielle Franco at Festival Iminente
In September 2018, Festival Iminente joined forces with Amnesty International to demand justice for Marielle Franco, Brazilian human rights defender who was killed on 14 March 2018. Artist Vhils created a powerful mural in tribute of Marielle and her work denouncing human rights violations, especially against black women, LGBTI and young people. Her message continues to inspire people around the world, reminding us that we should never give up on fighting for justice.
The expression of art, in all of its forms, is capable of sensitizing and mobilizing the fight for justice. In a time of darkness and setbacks all over the world, it is fundamental that we occupy all spaces.
Monica Tereza Azeredo Benício.
Monica Tereza Azeredo Benício, Marielle’s partner, has been campaigning for justice since Marielle’s death and attended Festival Iminente
Demand justice for Marielle – take action now: https://www.amnistia.pt/marielle-mural-by-vhils-en/
Carrie Reichardt at Nuart Aberdeen
Artist and activist Carrie Reichardt created a piece of permanent public art to highlight Amnesty International’s project in support of women human rights defenders in the UK – Suffragette Spirit.
The ceramic mural entitled ‘Suffragette Spirit’ celebrates Scotland’s woman human rights defenders, using classic revolutionary imagery and the suffragette colours of purple, green and white. This highly detailed work includes women nominated for Amnesty International’s Suffragette Spirit project, a part of its global BRAVE campaign, pictures and facts about the suffragettes, and images of human rights protesters.
Carrie Reichardt quote:
“To celebrate 100 years of women getting the vote, I thought it would be great to make this piece to celebrate the “Suffragette Spirit” that still lives on in Aberdeen. I hope it will be a fitting honour to all those ordinary women who have done extraordinary things to advance human rights for all. When
you look around most UK city centres, there is very little historical public art that celebrates the life and deeds of women. It is fantastic that Aberdeen will have three works focused both on the history of women’s struggle for equality and highlighting contemporary women that continue in the struggle for equal rights.”
Amal Azzudin, one of the human rights defenders who has inspired Carrie and is included within the artwork adds:
“I am truly honoured and grateful to be chosen as a woman who embodies the Suffragette Spirit. I am a huge supporter of Amnesty International’s work so this means a lot to me. I stand in solidarity with all the women in the world fighting for a better world and the 100 women on hunger strike who are currently in detention in Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre.”
Join Amnesty to support our work with human rights defenders, through art and activism, to protect human rights around the world.
To learn more about the campaign visit:
www.amnesty.org/brave
We partnered with NUART at their 17th edition of the annual international contemporary street and urban art festival in Norway. For the festival, we teamed up with world-renowned muralist Ricky Lee Gordon. The collaboration produced the biggest outdoor piece of the festival, a 4 story mural of Sakris Kupila, a human rights defender from Finland who has fought tirelessly for transgender rights in the face of harassment and intimidation.
Amnesty’s ‘Brave’ campaign asks us all to find the spark of courage inside to fight for what is right. NUART has given us an amazing platform to spread the word and ask more people to stand with the brave, to demand their recognition and protection and work together towards a fairer society
Sakris Kupila, human rights defender
Ricky Lee Gordon in Stavanger, Norway
Ben Eine in London, May 2017
Ben Eine has added his voice to the launch of the campaign with a giant mural on a building in East London spelling out the word “Brave” in 16-foot-high letters. As well as launching the Brave campaign the mural is also part of Colour in Romford, a street art initiative geared towards making Romford a ‘painted town’, launched last year by Made Public, an arts Community Investment Company dedicated to regenerating Romford through art and culture.