Bran Symondson

Bran Symondson is a conceptual artist and photographer who is considered one of the best reportage photographers in the world. He is perhaps best known for his unique AK-47 assault rifle installations masterfully adorned with dollar bills, iconography and butterflies. His inspiration came from his experiences while serving in the Special Forces in the war in Afghanistan. "Thats when the idea of ​​using the AK-47 came to me," he says. "We were surrounded by them and many Afghans used to decorate them with roses and stickers." His works rest on a simple premise: transform an object of fear and hatred into one of beauty and intrigue. Symondson considers the dollar an iconic product with its ability to evoke a variety of emotions and influence behavior, much like the assault rifle. In his "Deuces" work, he covers the AK-47 with US $ 2 bills, challenging the viewer to consider the similarity in how each is used to affect peoples lives. In 2012, to coincide with Peace Day, he asked 23 artists, including Damien Hirst, Gavin Turk, Sam Taylor-Wood, Sarah Lucas, Gary Hume, Antony Gormley and the Chapman brothers, to collaborate on his exhibition AKA Peace. Each artist was asked to reinterpret unarmed AK-47 assault rifles as a weapon of peace. "You give a boy a stick and he will turn it into a gun," he said. "I dont think [this project] glamorizes [the weapon], I think it conveys the message that it can be used for something else." The show was a complete sale. His work is highly acclaimed: in 2011 he won the Amnesty International Media Award and his pieces are collected internationally. His client list ranges from acclaimed artist Jake Chapman to Elton John and his Royal Highness Prince Khalifa of Bahrain.