I wanted to create a painting that not only shows the beauty and innocence of childhood but also the terrors of war and imperialism. Most people are aware of the damage caused by a conventional war, they have seen the damage to Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, they have seen the destruction that bombs can cause. Most people are not aware of the damage sanctions can cause and it is estimated that sanctions imposed on Iraq have caused the death of half a million children. Many countries in the world are crippled by these economic sanctions.
My painting shows a young boy tired and traumatised by war against a background of symbols and text which point to the reasons of these wars such as money and oil as well as a statement by a US politician when questioned about the consequence of sanctions.