As the world marks the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, former soldier turned artist Bran Symondson has marked the occasion with an exceptional tribute to our fallen heroes.

Symondson is renowned across the art world for his dramatic use of decommissioned rifles. His most famous pieces feature AK-47 rifles decorated with colourful butterflies to re-interpret a symbol of fear as something of beauty.

The artist wanted to commemorate the special anniversary with a meaningful tribute and creation. He uses an original Lee-Enfield .303 rifle as used in the First World War. He replicates the Fallen Soldier Battle Cross with the .303 bayonet and a British Army Helmet. The rifle is decorated with origami butterflies made from red and green poppy paper. Symondson sourced the red poppy paper from the poppy factory in Richmond and used green paper to represent poppy leaves.

This central art work piece is entitled ‘Corner of the Field’, which is taken from a line from Rupert Brooke’s poem ‘The Soldier’. This can be seen HOFA Gallery in London’s Mayfair along with other pieces of Symondson’s breath-taking current art collections. 

Symondson, says about this tribute collection, “A recent visit to the battlefields in France prompted me to reflect on the remembrance of fallen soldiers. The sight of
cemeteries served as a strong reminder to me that we must never forget those that paid the ultimate price.” 

Bran Symondson’s work will be exhibited at HOFA Gallery, 58 Maddox Street, London from Thursday 8th November to Thursday 15th November 2018.

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