NANJING, China - The “Ode to Peace- The 5^th Artists’ Art Exhibition,” curated by the Arts Committee of the World Eco-Design Organization, was recently inaugurated in Nanjing.

The dove, universally recognized as a symbol of peace, has flown across centuries from the depths of history. In ancient Egypt and Greece, it was revered as a sacred bird, a messenger of love and a bearer of purity and harmony. In ancient China, it was seen as a courier of affection, carrying messages of hope across great distances. Over time, the dove has left a common spiritual imprint across diverse cultures. In 1949, to mark the World Peace Congress, renowned artist Pablo Picasso created his iconic lithograph Dove of Peace. With an olive branch in its beak, the dove came to symbolize the dawn of peace and the end of war, becoming a lasting emblem of the global peace movement.

The image of the dove represents a firm rejection of war and conflict and reflects humanity’s yearning for tranquility. Flying together in flocks, gentle and harmonious, doves embody the ideal posture of humankind: to bridge divides with unity and to embrace diversity through coexistence. In today’s interconnected world, they serve as a reminder that people of different races, faiths, and nationalities can transcend differences, living together on the foundation of equality and respect. The dove is a shared spiritual bond, reminding all that peace is not granted but must be safeguarded through commitment and action. The principle of harmony it embodies provides a profound source of strength for building a community with a shared future for humankind.

The exhibition, centered on the theme of the peace dove, brings together the reflections and expressions of design artists. Each work, whether capturing the bird’s graceful form or conveying its deeper significance, is both a tribute to and a call for peace. Through art, the exhibition revisits the scars of history, fosters consensus on peace, and illuminates the shared journey of safeguarding it, allowing the symbolism of the dove to shine ever brighter in shaping humanity’s collective future.

The exhibition has attracted wide media attention, with coverage from outlets such as Culture China, China.com, Wenhui News, Yangzi News, Jiangsu News, Zijinshan News, Modern Express, Jiangsu city channel, and Jiangsu Industrial Design. One report by Culture China alone received over 80,000 views. The exhibition will also travel to several universities, including Nanjing Normal University of Special Education, Nanjing University of the Arts, Nanjing Normal University Zhongbei College, and Suzhou Art & Design Technology Institute.