• Bound. Rajasthan 2013. Only dry dusty roads till the next location. Miles and miles and miles from anywhere. Our lady in blue is working the land. A hard labourer, under the guidance of male 'handlers' from sun up to sun down. Dressed as beautifully as this everyday.
    Bound. Rajasthan 2013. Only dry dusty roads till the next location. Miles and miles and miles from anywhere. Our lady in blue is working the land. A hard labourer, under the guidance of male 'handlers' from sun up to sun down. Dressed as beautifully as this everyday.
  • Bill Mitchell. 100-year-old Second World War veteran. Armistice Day, Christchurch 2013. “Where is peace? Is it a myth or does it exist? Women and children are the world and yet in war it is the women and children who suffer the most. I hope women step forward to secure peace for the future.”
    Bill Mitchell. 100-year-old Second World War veteran. Armistice Day, Christchurch 2013. “Where is peace? Is it a myth or does it exist? Women and children are the world and yet in war it is the women and children who suffer the most. I hope women step forward to secure peace for the future.”
  • Grant Bowler. Actor, Los Angeles,2013. We walked around Venice Beach together looking for a moment, a feeling, a time to take the photograph. I captured this moment, and feel it perfectly portrays his strength and masculinity as a man and an actor.
    Grant Bowler. Actor, Los Angeles,2013. We walked around Venice Beach together looking for a moment, a feeling, a time to take the photograph. I captured this moment, and feel it perfectly portrays his strength and masculinity as a man and an actor.
  • Shantel VanSanten I met Shantel while having dinner at Demi Moore’s house and was struck by her incredible heart and sense of humanity. Naturally drawn to photograph her for the project, we caught up some time later in LA. The expression on her face, the way she cradles the rose was a reflection of our talks about peace and her love for her grandmother.
    Shantel VanSanten I met Shantel while having dinner at Demi Moore’s house and was struck by her incredible heart and sense of humanity. Naturally drawn to photograph her for the project, we caught up some time later in LA. The expression on her face, the way she cradles the rose was a reflection of our talks about peace and her love for her grandmother.
  • Gandhi’s Threads. Spinning and weaving the Khadi cloth, her hands told the story of a lifetime. Woven from cotton, hemp, silk and wool. They were the threads for Gandhi to promote the ideology of India’s self reliance. I photographed Bali in the village of Karno in Nagur, India in 2013. Locals gathered wondering why I was so interested in Bali with her delicate, agile fingers spending all her days leaning against the same wall spinning Khadi cloth. I sensed her hands represented a legend.
    Gandhi’s Threads. Spinning and weaving the Khadi cloth, her hands told the story of a lifetime. Woven from cotton, hemp, silk and wool. They were the threads for Gandhi to promote the ideology of India’s self reliance. I photographed Bali in the village of Karno in Nagur, India in 2013. Locals gathered wondering why I was so interested in Bali with her delicate, agile fingers spending all her days leaning against the same wall spinning Khadi cloth. I sensed her hands represented a legend.
  • Iraqi Man In Iraq, no one I spoke with really understood what I meant by ‘peace’. I did not see a single smile. The tension in the air was palpable. You could see the effect of living with fear etched in the lines on the people’s faces. Their lives have been subjected to such a constant threat of conflict that the only way to ‘peace’ with those I spoke with is to arm oneself with weapons.
    Iraqi Man In Iraq, no one I spoke with really understood what I meant by ‘peace’. I did not see a single smile. The tension in the air was palpable. You could see the effect of living with fear etched in the lines on the people’s faces. Their lives have been subjected to such a constant threat of conflict that the only way to ‘peace’ with those I spoke with is to arm oneself with weapons.
  • Jamie Lee Curtis Meeting Jamie for the first time, I was awe-inspired by her openness and friendliness. Funny, joyful, intelligent, lover of life, her family, Leica, and so much more. Most don’t know her accomplishments as a writer; they are significant. She laughs a lot and you can see that in her face. We had so much fun during the photo shoot. "Peace means freedom."
    Jamie Lee Curtis Meeting Jamie for the first time, I was awe-inspired by her openness and friendliness. Funny, joyful, intelligent, lover of life, her family, Leica, and so much more. Most don’t know her accomplishments as a writer; they are significant. She laughs a lot and you can see that in her face. We had so much fun during the photo shoot. "Peace means freedom."
  • The Potter We stopped in a local village outside Udaipur, in India. There was basically one person for each task or manual requirement, apart from tailors. There were lots of tailors. So one chaiwala, mustard oil man, baker, milk seller, chilli seller... and this fine man was the potter! He made the water vessels for the village. They were beautiful. I am in his potting shed with him for this image. The sense of relaxed industry was very cool. He didn't have a potting wheel but would spin the clay by hand and smack the clay as he did with a wooden paddle. We were surrounded by about 100 children when I took this photograph.
    The Potter We stopped in a local village outside Udaipur, in India. There was basically one person for each task or manual requirement, apart from tailors. There were lots of tailors. So one chaiwala, mustard oil man, baker, milk seller, chilli seller... and this fine man was the potter! He made the water vessels for the village. They were beautiful. I am in his potting shed with him for this image. The sense of relaxed industry was very cool. He didn't have a potting wheel but would spin the clay by hand and smack the clay as he did with a wooden paddle. We were surrounded by about 100 children when I took this photograph.
  • Fatma. Karasu Village, Turkey, 2015. "Peace means living together in peace."
    Fatma. Karasu Village, Turkey, 2015. "Peace means living together in peace."
  • Venice Girl Airika was embarrassed as she had never been photographed in her life and felt her beauty was not worthy of an image, but when the moment struck, she struck the pose, owned the moment and shed a small tear that someone had stopped to talk to her. “Peace means to be satisfied with what you already have.”
    Venice Girl Airika was embarrassed as she had never been photographed in her life and felt her beauty was not worthy of an image, but when the moment struck, she struck the pose, owned the moment and shed a small tear that someone had stopped to talk to her. “Peace means to be satisfied with what you already have.”
  • Ricky Gervais It is the day of the LA Marathon. LA is in lock down and cut in half as the runners are going from Dodgers Stadium to the Coast. If you look at a map, it is a suicide move to drive anywhere on this day. So, Ricky confirms the morning of the LA marathon to photograph him in his suite at the Beverly Hilton, right on the route. I made it. Ricky is hilarious and generous. “Peace is worth fighting for.”
    Ricky Gervais It is the day of the LA Marathon. LA is in lock down and cut in half as the runners are going from Dodgers Stadium to the Coast. If you look at a map, it is a suicide move to drive anywhere on this day. So, Ricky confirms the morning of the LA marathon to photograph him in his suite at the Beverly Hilton, right on the route. I made it. Ricky is hilarious and generous. “Peace is worth fighting for.”
  • Rose Schuman California, mother, painter, fashionista. I was caught off guard by the lively and gregarious nature of this captivating 94-year-old woman. Full of life, full of stories from Hollywood old and new. Rose is an example of giving everything you can in life and making the most of everyday. “Peace means everything. If we have peace, we have peace on the earth and #(*&!* everything else."
    Rose Schuman California, mother, painter, fashionista. I was caught off guard by the lively and gregarious nature of this captivating 94-year-old woman. Full of life, full of stories from Hollywood old and new. Rose is an example of giving everything you can in life and making the most of everyday. “Peace means everything. If we have peace, we have peace on the earth and #(*&!* everything else."
  • Primordial Smile A Kurdish villager in PKK country with a grim disposition. When asked to close his eyes and think of peace, this is the look that overtook him. An expression I had not seen in the day I spent with him. A hard working farmer with eight children, and no running water.
    Primordial Smile A Kurdish villager in PKK country with a grim disposition. When asked to close his eyes and think of peace, this is the look that overtook him. An expression I had not seen in the day I spent with him. A hard working farmer with eight children, and no running water.
  • Peacock. Hot rocking beats, LA, Century City, Robert Keith designs jewellery, fashion and art. He wears his art. "Peace means to me the collective state of consciousness when humans, in their natural state, stripped of all external stimulus, material and circumstances, reach the common vibration of a harmonious and indescribable understanding in relation to the state of reality in which they are travelling through".
    Peacock. Hot rocking beats, LA, Century City, Robert Keith designs jewellery, fashion and art. He wears his art. "Peace means to me the collective state of consciousness when humans, in their natural state, stripped of all external stimulus, material and circumstances, reach the common vibration of a harmonious and indescribable understanding in relation to the state of reality in which they are travelling through".
  • We Love Too Slow. Soho, London, late afternoon wandering I find the courageous and outrageous Anne. Turned out perfectly with sass to match the style. To add edge and energy we again choose the street as our studio, black cabs flying past and tooting. “Peace means love and respect.”
    We Love Too Slow. Soho, London, late afternoon wandering I find the courageous and outrageous Anne. Turned out perfectly with sass to match the style. To add edge and energy we again choose the street as our studio, black cabs flying past and tooting. “Peace means love and respect.”
  • Greg T. Brown. Actor and Model, Los Angeles. Where the mind goes the man follows. "Peace is a state of mind."
    Greg T. Brown. Actor and Model, Los Angeles. Where the mind goes the man follows. "Peace is a state of mind."
  • Allison McAtee. Actress, Hollywood, 2014. “A quiet soul and spirit that echoes with the vibrations of unconditional love, light and happiness.”
    Allison McAtee. Actress, Hollywood, 2014. “A quiet soul and spirit that echoes with the vibrations of unconditional love, light and happiness.”
  • Love Life “Love, Respect, Happiness for all” Believe in coincidences? I bumped into Jordon on three separate occasions in LA over three weeks, in three completely different locations! His tattoo says it all. This picture was taken in Santa Monica.
    Love Life “Love, Respect, Happiness for all” Believe in coincidences? I bumped into Jordon on three separate occasions in LA over three weeks, in three completely different locations! His tattoo says it all. This picture was taken in Santa Monica.
  • Gandhi & The Rose. May Day, Moscow, Russia 2015. I found Mahatma Gandhi in bronze near Gorki Park. I always wonder how those icons so focused on peace, civil rights and freedom... who have passed, would choose to hold the rose.
    Gandhi & The Rose. May Day, Moscow, Russia 2015. I found Mahatma Gandhi in bronze near Gorki Park. I always wonder how those icons so focused on peace, civil rights and freedom... who have passed, would choose to hold the rose.
  • Shackleton’s Legacy Sub-zero temperatures sinking into my chest with every breath, I stepped inside Shackleton’s Hut at Cape Royds in Antarctica. Brimming with the sense of fate and adventure. I was overcome and in awe of the history, life, Shackleton, and his men. They lived in this hut for two years in the pursuit of scientific endeavor. I placed the white rose on the corner of one of Shackleton’s stretchers, a small amount of light softly falling from one solitary window above. I captured this moment on my Leica camera with my grandfather’s 40-year-old Leica lens. The very same one he had photographed me with as an infant.
    Shackleton’s Legacy Sub-zero temperatures sinking into my chest with every breath, I stepped inside Shackleton’s Hut at Cape Royds in Antarctica. Brimming with the sense of fate and adventure. I was overcome and in awe of the history, life, Shackleton, and his men. They lived in this hut for two years in the pursuit of scientific endeavor. I placed the white rose on the corner of one of Shackleton’s stretchers, a small amount of light softly falling from one solitary window above. I captured this moment on my Leica camera with my grandfather’s 40-year-old Leica lens. The very same one he had photographed me with as an infant.
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Peace in 10,000 Hands - Stuart Robertson

11 October 2015

Stuart Robertson’s Peace in 10,000 Hands is global art project that’s creating a visual provocation to challenge and reinvigorate the conversation for peace. Inspired by the belief that art is intimately entwined with the human condition, Robertson believes that it has the power to challenge and create change. “Since the time of cave drawings, art has inspired and transcended the boundaries of language, culture, religion, time and space,” he says. “Imagery can break down barriers, move effortlessly across borders, speak profoundly to the heart of mankind and spark emotion and inspiration in every one of us.”

Bill Mitchell. 100-year-old Second World War veteran. Armistice Day, Christchurch 2013. “Where is peace? Is it a myth or does it exist? Women and children are the world and yet in war it is the women and children who suffer the most. I hope women step forward to secure peace for the future.”
Bill Mitchell. 100-year-old Second World War veteran. Armistice Day, Christchurch 2013. “Where is peace? Is it a myth or does it exist? Women and children are the world and yet in war it is the women and children who suffer the most. I hope women step forward to secure peace for the future.”

Central to the series is a single white rose held in the hands of 10,000 people from every country and every walk of life. The concept that Robertson explores is the idea of mankind’s global interconnectedness. He probes into the emotional repositories of our individual belief systems about peace, and quietly sets adrift a deep question about the human experience.

Peacock. Hot rocking beats, LA, Century City, Robert Keith designs jewellery, fashion and art. He wears his art.
Peacock. Hot rocking beats, LA, Century City, Robert Keith designs jewellery, fashion and art. He wears his art. "Peace means to me the collective state of consciousness when humans, in their natural state, stripped of all external stimulus, material and circumstances, reach the common vibration of a harmonious and indescribable understanding in relation to the state of reality in which they are travelling through".

Artworks from throughout the project are being donated 100% to various charities focused on furthering peace through children’s education, safety and wellbeing. “Each of our actions and thoughts has a subtle, yet profound ripple effect. We are responsible for, and have the ability to choose, how we influence that ripple.”

At The Digital Show

Leica Australia will be hosting an exhibition of Stuart Robertson's work during The Digital Show, 16-18 October at Melbourne Exhibition Centre. Robertson be sharing his phenomenal story at the Leica stand during the following times

Friday, 16 October – 12PM
Saturday, 17 October – 12PM
Sunday, 18 October  – 1:45PM

About the artist

Stuart Robertson
Stuart Robertson

Stuart Robertson was born in 1969, Auckland, New Zealand. Contemporary artist and humanitarian, Stuart Robertson melds photography, film, digital media, symbolism, hand-blown glass and neon with his background in design and fabrication to create works that speak profoundly to the viewer, causing us to confront our own preconceptions and gracefully recognise our similarities in the human condition.

Creating a global conversation and ripple effect, he draws on the phenomenal power of modern social networks and instant borderless communication that dissolves prejudice and makes mankind more connected than at any other time in history.

The artist’s practice has developed and been refined over 30 years. His artworks now hang in many private established collections throughout New Zealand and the USA, and in recent years his profile has gained significant momentum internationally.

Robertson’s passion for seeing the world through an alternate view runs deep. His grandfathers were both prolific photographers with their own darkrooms and camera collections. Their love for the medium underpins the artist’s own obsession.

Ricky Gervais It is the day of the LA Marathon. LA is in lock down and cut in half as the runners are going from Dodgers Stadium to the Coast. If you look at a map, it is a suicide move to drive anywhere on this day. So, Ricky confirms the morning of the LA marathon to photograph him in his suite at the Beverly Hilton, right on the route. I made it. Ricky is hilarious and generous. “Peace is worth fighting for.”
Ricky Gervais It is the day of the LA Marathon. LA is in lock down and cut in half as the runners are going from Dodgers Stadium to the Coast. If you look at a map, it is a suicide move to drive anywhere on this day. So, Ricky confirms the morning of the LA marathon to photograph him in his suite at the Beverly Hilton, right on the route. I made it. Ricky is hilarious and generous. “Peace is worth fighting for.”
Permanent Exhibitions and Galleries

Studio 66 - 66 Industrial Place, Queenstown, New Zealand
Gallery X - Khartoum Place, 36 Lorne Street, Auckland, New Zealand

Commercial Installations

Gusto, SKYCITY Grand Hotel, 90 Federal Street, Auckland, New Zealand
Orleans Bar and Restaurant Britomart, Auckland and Christchurch
Frame – Orakei Bay, Auckland
Nathan Club - Britomart Auckland

Exhibitions

Gusford Art Gallery, Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, August 2013
Orakei Bay, Global Launch Exhibition, Auckland May 2014
LAB Art Gallery, Collaboration, South La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, June 2014
Auckland War Memorial Museum, International Peace Day (Film), Sept 2014
Sydney Peace Day, September 2014
Tibetan Gallery – Sebastopol, California, January 2015
Pataka Art + Museum, September 2015

More information - Peace in 10,000 Hands.

Bound. Rajasthan 2013. Only dry dusty roads till the next location. Miles and miles and miles from anywhere. Our lady in blue is working the land. A hard labourer, under the guidance of male 'handlers' from sun up to sun down. Dressed as beautifully as this everyday.
Bound. Rajasthan 2013. Only dry dusty roads till the next location. Miles and miles and miles from anywhere. Our lady in blue is working the land. A hard labourer, under the guidance of male 'handlers' from sun up to sun down. Dressed as beautifully as this everyday.