The newly reopened Skissernas Museum in Lund, Sweden is currently hosting a wonderful new piece by American artist Swoon (Caledonia Curry). Inspired by the stories of two young refugees she met in Malmö, Swoon has created a marvelous mural that spans the entire wall of the museum’s courtyard. The mural depicts Maram Alawad, a young woman from Syria. Rather than using an image of Maram that reflects the sorrow and pain she has experienced during her journey as a refugee, Swoon has chosen one of her subject laughing, symbolising the joy and hope she feels in her new life.
Swoon, whose work is inspired by street art, often uses portraits of people she knows to illustrate the social and environmental issues of our time. She believes that art can be a healing force in times of disaster and crisis. You can hear more about this project and the motivations behind it in this video by Swoon, recorded on site at the museum.
In conjunction with the mural, both Maram and Daniel Moradi, an unaccompanied young man from Afghanistan, told their stories earlier this month at an event organised by the museum and the Million Person Project, an organisation that trains change makers in identifying and owning their personal story and so they can powerfully share it as it relates to their work in the world.
The mural will be on display in the museum until August 13, 2017, so be sure to stop by and see it if you are in the area.
Photos by Johan Persson, for the Skissernas Museum.
