Children’s art for peace in Quaker central offices
Eighty years after the Korean peninsula was divided by war, an exhibition of drawings by children on both sides of the divide is on show in Quaker central offices, London.
Born out of more than two decades of exchange between North and South Korean children, the Drawing Hope art exhibit will be on display in Friends House, London, (opposite Euston Station) until 3 April 2026.
The exhibit features self-portraits created by children aged 8-16 in South and North Korea, America, Belfast, South Africa, Georgia, China, Japan, Colombia and Cambodia. Friends House is open 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
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Drawing Hope exposes the absurdity of the dehumanisation embedded in the divisions we inherit
- Dong Jin Kim
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Created in workshops, the drawings bring to life the children's hopes and visions for a more peaceful future. It is hoped that British children will also contribute drawings.
The exhibit was made possible by the partnership between Quaker organisation, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), with Okedongmu Children in Korea and ReconciliAsian.
During the Cold War, both sides of the Korean border dehumanised each other, and South Korean children took part in anti-communism art contests until the 1980s.
Okedongmu Children in Korea, which aims to transform conflict into a peaceful future on the Korean peninsula, first launched its “Hello, My Friend" campaign in 1996.
South Korean children drew self-portraits and friendship messages which were delivered to their peers in North Korea.
Eventually the initiative facilitated an historic visit of South Korean children to Pyongyang The Drawing Hope project grew from these roots.
The show debuted at the Shatto Gallery in Los Angeles in 2023 and has travelled to Ulster University in Northern Ireland as well as the United Nations in New York.
A launch event at Friends House on Tuesday evening was addressed by Dong Jin Kim (Jin), Kim Dae Jung Chair Professor of Peace Studies at Hanshin University, Republic of Korea.
He said: “What began as a gesture of innocence has grown into a trans-local movement in which children and youth from conflict-affected societies reclaim their voices and reimagine our shared humanity.
“Drawing Hope exposes the absurdity of the dehumanisation embedded in the divisions we inherit and invites us to learn from the courage of the young, whose imagination keeps humanity from mutual destruction and whose hope awakens our critical agency to grow peace.
“Hosting this exhibition at Friends House is especially meaningful, as it resonates deeply with the Quaker commitment to peace and solidarity across borders amid recurring wars."