Drawing hope for the Korean Peninsula

By Jennifer Deibert

Photos: Courtesy of Drawing Hope/Gloria Huang

Photos: Courtesy of Drawing Hope/Gloria Huang

Photos: Courtesy of Drawing Hope/Gloria Huang

Photos: Courtesy of Drawing Hope/Gloria Huang

Photos: Courtesy of Drawing Hope/Gloria Huang

Photos: Courtesy of Drawing Hope/Gloria Huang

Photos: Courtesy of Drawing Hope/Gloria Huang

Photos: Courtesy of Drawing Hope/Gloria Huang

Photos: Courtesy of Drawing Hope/Gloria Huang

Photos: Courtesy of Drawing Hope/Gloria Huang

Photos: Courtesy of Drawing Hope/Gloria Huang

Photos: Courtesy of Drawing Hope/Gloria Huang

The Korean War never ended but was merely suspended by an armistice agreement in 1953. Today, the peninsula remains divided. Families and loved ones are still separated. And there has been almost no opportunity for people from each side of the border to meet each other.

Last fall, AFSC co-sponsored an art exhibit to show how young people are trying to bridge those divides. The "Drawing Hope" art exhibit was born out of more than two decades of exchange between North and South Korean children. It features self-portraits and self-introductions created by children in workshops. And it brings to life their hopes, dreams, and visions for a more peaceful future on the Korean Peninsula.

The exhibit was made possible through AFSC’s partnership with Okedongmu Children in Korea and ReconciliAsian. It debuted at the Shatto Gallery in Los Angeles and has since traveled to Ulster University in Northern Ireland.