SAMMAMISH, Wash. — A young artist from the Seattle area is proving that art has the power to heal.
In January, KIRO 7 News first introduced you to now 12-year-old Zoya Eshwar.
She’s been busy working on a massive monument for the war-torn Middle East, and this weekend, she will unveil the maquette – a smaller scale of what’s to come.
The ceremony will take place at the Sammamish Library on Saturday at 3 p.m.
Global Peace Initiative searched the world for an entire year for the right artist for the job and commissioned Zoya to complete the 21-foot monument.
They search for talented young artists to create these pieces across the globe.
“We only commission young artists to design our monuments because kids suffer the most in times of war,” said founder Ben Valenty.
Since we last spoke to Zoya, she’s been working with a group of artists to make her painting come to life in the form of a bronze maquette.
“Painting this took me 21 hours,” Zoya told KIRO 7.
The final monument will be made of missile casings from the war.
Her design is filled with symbolism; the closer you look, the more you’ll see.
“There’s a dove extending an olive branch, which is a symbol of peace,” Zoya shared. “And on the hand, there’s a wristband that says Shalom and Salam, which means peace in different languages.”
Zoya told us this opportunity means a lot to her.
“I really wanted to do this because children are most affected in times of war, and I feel like making this monument can show my appreciation and that peace is really important.”
Zoya will be selling pieces of her artwork to pay for the final monument, which will be constructed, painted, and moved to the Middle East when completed.
It will be dedicated in the spring of 2026, and Zoya will be there to present her work.
Her design is stretching beyond the canvas, the maquette, and the monument.
“My design has been accepted by the UK’s Commonwealth Mint, so my design can be on a set of gold and silver legal tender coins,” Zoya told KIRO 7 News.
You can view Zoya’s other artwork by clicking here.
To learn more about Global Peace Initiative’s peace monuments, click here.
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