HUMANITARIAN LEILA ALAOUI’S TRAGIC DEATH INSPIRES JEWELLERY DESIGNER JULIEN RIAD SAYOU’S ‘BULLET PEACE’ COLLECTION
In 2016 tragically Lelia Alaoui was killed in a Burkina Faso terror attack, she was fatefully wounded and died after being shot by a jihadi gunman in Ouagadougou. She was working on an assignment for women’s rights in Burkina Faso for the UN Women and Amnesty International. The beautiful French-Moroccan photographer and video artist’s work on refugees was been exhibited globally, and featured in the likes of New York Times and Vogue.
In tribute to his dear friend Lelia and to help ensure her important work lives on, Julien has designed a jewellery collection entitled ‘Bullet Peace’, with all proceeds are going to Found Lelia Alaoui (http://www.fondationleilaalaoui.org) and a selection of charities that provide aid to children in conflict zones.
Julien Riad Sayou says, “Bullet Peace is probably my most personal collection, the creation process was bittersweet, knowing Lelia has gone, but that I could help in some small way help create change and unification across cultures around the globe”.
Julien adds about the collection, “The use of a bullet shape was important to help alter connotations that always attach themselves to bullets. Each Bullet Peace has been damaged in order to show that although people may be challenged, they cannot be broken. I have engraved the word ‘PEACE’ in 8 languages at the point of the bullet, along with Leila’s initials and the date ‘15.1’, inscribed at the base”.
He finishes by saying, “I hope all that wear the Bullet Peace collection do so as a symbol of hope and anti-terrorism”.
Each gold model of the Bullet Peace is a limited and numbered edition of 333. Prices begin at £270 to £999.