peter shire

A CUP FOR PEACE

 

Purple invited the Los Angeles artist and former member of the Memphis Group of designers to create a symbol of peace. He responded with a series of ceramic cups bearing the universal peace sign — an artwork that anyone can own and use every day. Each cup becomes a quiet act of advocacy, a reminder that sharing a cup of coffee can also be a gesture for peace.

The peace symbol was created in 1958 by British designer Gerald Holtom for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. It combines the semaphore flag signals for the letters N and D, standing for Nuclear Disarmament. Inspired by the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it soon became the universal emblem of peace, anti-war resistance, and hope. — purple