Report by Mr. Richard Outram, UK and Ireland Mayors for Peace Chapter Secretary
UK/Ireland Mayors for Peace Chapter Secretary Richard Outram spoke at the opening of a powerful exhibition, Portraits of the Hibakusha: 80 Years Remembered, curated by Gina Langton, Creative Director and CEO of 80,000 Voices (https://www.80000voices.org<https://www.80000voices.org/>). The exhibition is hosted at the Norwegian Church Arts Centre in Cardiff Bay. It is now open to the public until 30 November.
The exhibition comprises 14 lenticular (three-dimensional) portraits of ‘Hibakusha’, Japanese atomic bomb survivors, which conveys their suffering, courage and resolution in fighting for a world free of nuclear weapons so that no one else should suffer as they have. Each portrait has a moving quotation from the subject which demands reflection from the reader.
Richard said: “Although in August 1945, the Hibakusha saw things too terrible to contemplate and they have suffered incredibly over decades, rather than giving in to despair and then to age and infirmity, they continue to fight to ensure that there shall be no more to follow them. “I ask all visitors to this exhibition to think about the Hibakushas’ stories and reflect on what they can do for peace. If we each continue the struggle of the Hibakusha, we can finally achieve a world without nuclear weapons.
Photos: courtesy of Paula, Norwegian Church Arts Centre