A message from the founder

Designing world peace with children's drawings

UNISSOGRAFF founder and in-house artist, ca37


"There Are Children"

No matter how unforgiving and harsh the world can seem these days, the dazzling smiling faces of children still charge our spirits and courage. Have you ever felt that way?

I truly believe that it is children, through their very nature, who are the saviours that can guide adults to peace when we are feeling weak and broken.

Beginning with the areas of north-east Japan that were ravaged by the tsunami of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, through impoverished townships in Asia and conflict-stricken regions of Africa, I have experienced this first-hand with my art workshops, and the many local children who have taken part drawing their own pictures based on the themes of ‘Homeland’ and ‘Peace’. We could never be proper adults without children like them. That is to say, we simply could not fulfil our potential as grown members of society. And that is why, in our age-old struggle for world peace to which mankind has devoted such effort, we absolutely need the power of children. With this in mind, for 10 years I have devoted my paintbrush to the concept of “THERE ARE CHILDREN”.

But how, exactly?

Creating a symbol that embodies children drawing together and their pictures, can bring with it a powerful message that resonates throughout the world. After all, regardless of religion and skin colour, all adults everywhere desire that children have an equal opportunity to ‘Live and Learn’.

Through artwork, exhibitions and product designs created in collaboration with children’s drawings, I seek to spread the message of world peace from on the streets and in homes. I call this “UNISSOGRAFF”.

The term UNISSOGRAFF is a fusion of the French words “unisson” (meaning unison or harmony) and “graffiti” (representing children’s drawings). Quite literally, it describes an unprecedented social design whereby value generated through the art and designs that are borne from this unison of creativity, overlaying children’s pictures with my own imaginings as an adult artist, is returned in part through profit donations to the partner NGO’s that strive to support the survival and education of these very same artistic collaborators, thereby allowing society to repay its debt of gratitude to children.

Thank you sincerely for your interest in Unissograff, and for helping to change children's lives for the better.

ca37