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City of Peace

City of Peace is a permanent public sculpture overlooking the Peace Gardens in the centre of Sheffield. The work comprises seven life-sized stainless-steel doves perched on the chimney above Brown’s Bar, adjacent to the gardens.

The sculpture was inspired by Pablo Picasso’s visit to Sheffield during the Second World Peace Congress in 1950. Although the Congress itself was disrupted by political tensions surrounding the Korean War, Picasso’s visit left a lasting mark on the city. During his time in Sheffield he famously drew several Dove of Peace sketches, one of which now forms part of Sheffield Museums’ collection and remains on public display at Weston Park Museum.

For City of Peace, I used Picasso’s original Peace Congress poster as the starting point for the sculpture. Rather than creating a monument to Picasso himself, I wanted to acknowledge Sheffield’s long tradition of radical thought, civic engagement and internationalism, and to celebrate the city’s continuing commitment to peace.

The Peace Gardens have also been an important place in my own life. As a teenager I witnessed Sheffield emerging from the decline that followed the collapse of much of its industry. The gardens became a place where friends met, conversations happened and ideas were exchanged. As a young punk I spent countless hours there; later, as an artist working in the city, it remained somewhere I regularly returned to. My connection to the site runs deep.

Being invited to create a permanent artwork for such a significant location was both a privilege and a responsibility. The project provided an opportunity to acknowledge a remarkable episode in Sheffield’s history whilst contributing something new to the life of the city. The seven doves stand as a quiet reminder of values that remain as relevant today as they were when Picasso visited Sheffield more than half a century ago.

Although made many years before my current work, City of Peace remains connected to concerns that continue to occupy me. It reflects an enduring interest in how objects carry stories, how places accumulate memories, and how meaning is continually shaped and reshaped through time.

City of Peace was commissioned by Fred Gould of Great Central Developments through the Percentage for Art scheme and installed with assistance from Clive Smith of CS Roofing.