Israeli Artist Transforms Rockets Into Roses

Blacksmith and artist Yaron Bob creates beauty and a message of  hope from  deadly rockets.

Karen asked on our post about jewelry made from upcycled bullets, how can we change the context of other discarded or grotesque objects in order to view them as beautiful?

Now, how can weapons of death ever become symbols of peace? It takes a spirit determined to draw hope and grace from terror and despair.

Israeli artist Yaron Bob does the most daring recycling imaginable. He takes spent Kassam rockets and from them welds roses, menorahs, and jewelry.

Bob lives in Yated, a moshav near the border with Gaza and Egypt. He has escaped injury from Kassam rocket attacks twice. Although the idea of handling the rockets was hard at first, the need to express himself drove him to create art from the deadly missiles.

“The feeling accumulated inside of me. I needed to make something that says growth and prosperity. Make something out of the destruction. I want to show that talking is better than making war,” says Bob.

The symbol he chose was the rose. Each unique one takes four hours of work. Apart from the symbolic roses, Bob creates candlesticks, keychains, menorahs, and of course, the peace dove. There are no signs of having been made from a rocket on the objects, but the base of each one bears a plaque stating where and when the original rocket fell. Local police provide Bob with his “raw materials” after having them checked for safety.

Last question. If things as horrible as missiles can be recycled into art, can we recycle our thoughts into a true desire for peace?

Yaron Bob’s Kassam art may be ordered through Rockets Into Roses. For more information, email [email protected] .

Photo of Kassam rose via The Jerusalem Post.

Photos of Yaron Bob and Kassam art objects from Rockets Into Roses.
More on green efforts towards peace from Green Prophet:

• Joint Green Projects Can Help Create Lasting Peace
• A Stunning Tale of Peace, Water, and Walls
• Syria-Israel Peace Park? 

Author: Miriam Kresh

Miriam Kresh is an American ex-pat living in Israel. Her love of Middle Eastern food evolved from close friendships with enthusiastic Moroccan, Tunisian and Turkish home cooks. She owns too many cookbooks and is always planning the next meal. Miriam can be reached at miriam (at) greenprophet (dot) com.

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