What is Peace Doves?
Peace Doves is a mass-participation artwork by Peter Walker, it is made up of thousands of individually handmade paper doves which have been suspended above the cathedral’s historic Nave. The artwork is set to music by composer David Harper.
From April - June 2024, visitors, schools, local groups and church communities were invited to create one of the thousands of paper doves needed for the installation and inscribe it with a message of peace, love, hope or friendship. You can read more about their messages here.
The final installation, which was on display from 26 July - 4 September 2024, gave a sense of serenity and peace. As the paper doves were illuminated and hung from the Nave, visitors flocked to see the installation to see if they spot their dove and spent time reflecting upon other public messages of peace, which makes the Peace Doves installation unique to those who took part.
Watch the video to see Peace Doves at Durham Cathedral
About the artist
Peter Walker is a sculptor and fine artist who has worked professionally for over 20 years in the development of public art, monumental bronze and other materials, fine, and installation art.
Peter’s work can be found in public and private collections internationally, including at the British Embassy in Dubai, British Embassy in Paris, The Collections of Limburg (Germany), St Chads Cathedral (Canada), Chester Cathedral, Lichfield Cathedral, and University Church in Oxford. Peter also creates large scale installation artworks and Son et Lumiere as the artistic director of Luxmuralis, including at Westminster Abbey (2020) Chatsworth House (2020), Compton Verney (2018), Bodleian Libraries Old Quad (2020), and numerous national cathedrals.
Find out more at peterwalkersculptor.com.
