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With a wish for peace, Italian painter holds exhibition in Hiroshima

by Kyoko Shinmoto, Staff Writer

On July 12, an Italian painter named Davide Di Taranto, 47, a resident of Brighton, England, opened an exhibition of his work at the Hiroshima City Plaza for Town Development through Citizen Exchange in downtown Hiroshima. Mr. Di Taranto has been working on themes of peace and equality in his paintings, and his connection with a language student from Hiroshima led to his exhibition in the A-bombed city. The exhibition will run through July 14 and admission is free.

Mr. Di Taranto has put eight paintings on display, created in acrylic, which feature rainbows, a symbol of peace in Italy. In these works, made on white cloth measuring two meters in height and width or on pieces of A3-sized paper, a man with a brush paints a circular rainbow of seven hues.

The artist made these paintings expressly for his exhibition in Hiroshima. The circular rainbows, he said, symbolize the importance of making a sustained effort to realize peace in the world.

Having held exhibitions of his work in such places as the United States and Europe, Mr. Di Taranto was eager to stage an exhibition in Hiroshima. In July 2012, he became acquainted with Yasuhiro Harada, 58, a resident of Saeki Ward, who was studying abroad. They met at an event involving Japanese culture held in the city of Brighton and discussed the idea of holding an exhibition of Mr. Di Taranto’s work in Hiroshima. Mr. Harada then sought a venue after returning to Japan last December.

Mr. Di Taranto said that Hiroshima has a special power to spread the message of peace and he hopes visitors who attend his exhibition will be prompted to reflect on peace when they see his work.

(Originally published on July 13, 2013)

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