LuckyUnlucky Childsoldier Art Project

Lisa van Noorden

Fleure uit Frankrijk

ABOUT LUCKYUNLUCKY

LuckyUnlucky aims at enlarging the awareness of the use of child soldiers. By integrating this theme into the visual arts, other than through regular channels like television that only deaden the receivers mind, I wish to bring about a more direct impact.

By carrying out the theme in paintings and in the form of accessible cuddly dolls, so-called Lucky and Unlucky dolls, harsh reality is brought near to the receiver. The dolls are in fact adoption dolls. They will find their way to the protective and safe family surroundings through museums and galeries and in this way breaking through the 'far away from home feeling'.

Lucky dolls & Unlucky dolls

There are 24 dolls and they form 12 couples. A Lucky doll and an Unlucky doll. The Unlucky doll represents a child soldier, the Lucky doll represents an 'ordinary' child. Both characters have their own story. The lucky children, who do not live in horrible circumstances, have their tiny problems, like wearing an itchy and smelly starwars suit, a sick pet or a forgotten nightlamp at summercamp.

By displaying the Lucky an Unlucky dolls next to each other, the contrast is reinforced and painfully clear.

LuckyUnlucky travelling show
The LuckyUnlucky exhibition will be travelling through the Netherlands and other countries. Some of the dolls already popped up in Londen and New York. Check out the news section for news about exhibitions.

What are the dolls made of?
All dolls are printed cotton with blue stitching. They represent a strong emotional overtone. The doll itself has a soft interior. But the backside is made of leather, a 'natural skin' which at the same time symbolizes the crudeness of the child soldiers situation.

We can not predict the color of the leather and it is not possible to order a specific colour.

The filling is a mixture of grinded wood and bird sand. Every doll has a different size, in general they measure 10 in x 4 in.

The package.

All dolls are packed in a wooden box with plexiglas lid. Don't forget to take it out on a regular basis, no matter if it's a Lucky or Unlucky doll. Children need to be cuddled and molded into balanced grown ups!
Size of the box: 8.5 inch wide, 11.8 inch high, 3.9 inch deep.
All dolls are numbered and signed by the artist. The first collection consists of 50 dolls of each character. It is not possible to order a specific number.

How long will delivery take?

Depending on your location delivery will take between 1 and 4 weeks.

Can I buy the whole set in one piece?

Yes! The whole set is in fact the complete artwork.

15 dollar of the proceeds is donated directly to War Child.
What is War Child?

War Child International is a network of independent organisations, working across the world to help children affected by war. War Child was founded upon a fundamental goal: to advance the cause of peace through investing hope in the lives of children caught up in the horrors of war.

War Child International currently consists of two implementing offices: War Child Holland and War Child Canada. Founded in 1999, War Child Canada is an independent charitable organisation working across North America and around the world to assist children affected by war and to raise awareness for children's rights everywhere. We are working to help thousands whose lives have been torn apart by war, and to engage North American youth to take an active role in creating a more just future.
Please visit their website on www.warchild.com

The birth of Kwakou; from drawing to prototype to result.

PAINTINGS ALL PAINTINGS CAN BE ORDERED AS A DIGITAL PRINT ON MUSEUMQUALITY PAPER size 20 x 30 in.
		Fleure from France Oil, acrylic and pencil on canvas, 39.4 in x 59.1 in. I am 7 years old It's my birthday tomorrow and I hope that I get lots of presents. My girlfriends say I'm spoilt but they're really secretly jealous. It is true that my Mum and Dad always give me what I want and, if they don't, I make a fuss and complain until they give in. But I'm worth it. My father is my biggest fan and my mother is really proud of me.
		Kwakou from Sierra Leone "I got my first UZI when I was nine" Oil, acrylic and pencil on canvas, 39.4 in x 59.1 in. I am 7 years old I want to be like other kids. But how can I? Because I am no one's child. I still dream about a boy from my village that I shot. Then he talks to me and says 'you hurt me for nothing!'
		Kagame from Rwanda Oil, acrylic and pencil on canvas, 39.4 in x 59.1 in. I am 13 years old. I went to school every day in Kigali. But then, in 1994, the war began. On the way to school we had to hide in the hospital because of the violence. Once soldiers came and divided us into groups. For our safety, they said. But the groups were made to divide us up for the army because we were taken away to the training camp where we had to stay for 3 weeks. There we had to fight and we got orders to protect the city. I really didn't want to.
		Labeeb from Palestine Oil, acrylic and pencil on canvas, 39.4 in x 59.1 in. I am 2 years old This picture of me is really famous. It was taken at a family party when someone dressed me up as a 'suicide bomber'. When the picture was discovered by the Israeli army, it was distributed around the world and was in all the newspapers. Many people thought it was bad that I wore the costume, but it's really normal here to have our pictures taken in uniforms and with play pistols. .
		Hola from Ethiopia Oil, acrylic and pencil on canvas, 39.4 in x 59.1 in. I am 6 years old I ran away from home because I was being beaten. Nobody looked after me except for my grandmother. She got sick and I met a boy from a rebel army. I went with him and now I work in the training camp. I still have problems with being homesick.
		Minette from Australia Oil, acrylic and pencil on canvas, 39.4 in x 59.1 in. I am 2 years old This picture of me is really famous. It was taken by my aunt during a family party. Everyone was surprised because they were my first steps. I walked really late because I found it easier to roll or crawl. Till I wanted to grab a present, I couldn't, so I began to walk.
		Jordan from Israel Oil, acrylic and pencil on canvas, 39.4 in x 59.1 in. I am 7 years old I got this cool cap from my mother. When I put it on, I feel really important. I hope that I will be a hero when I am 14 or 15. Because then I can protect my family and my country. Sometimes they also attach a fake bomb to me with a belt. My mother is really proud of me.
		Lotte from Holland Oil, acrylic and pencil on canvas, 39.4 in x 59.1 in. I am 3 years old This is an old picture of me in my ski suit. Mum, dad and I were on our first winter vacation. I still remember that we drove over very high mountains. One time we went so far and high that I got scared. Sometimes I forgot where my home was.
		Marti from Austria Oil, acrylic and pencil on canvas, 39.4 in x 59.1 in. I am 12 years old This is my dog Buck and the gun that my father gave me for Christmas. My father and grandfather have been taking me hunting since I could walk. They taught me how to handle guns by having me take them apart and then put them back together again. I shot my first deer when I was 11.