Artist creates stunning statue out of knives to raise awareness about knife violence
Alfie Bradley is tackling the issue of knife violence in a most unique way. The sculptor unveiled his dramatic 27-foot statue, "Knife Angel," at the British Ironwork Centre in Oswestry, Shropshire.
The statue is made out of 100,000 knives that were collected in a UK national campaign called Save a Life, Surrender Your Knife. In 2015 and 2016, the campaign offered a place for people to anonymously surrender their knives. Bradley was commission to create "Knife Angel" from the surrendered weapons.
Before building the massive angel, Bradley created a 13-foot gorilla out of 40,000 spoons. Alfie told Mashable that "Spoon Gorilla" inspired the idea for "Knife Angel" as did the ridiculous amount of knife crime in the UK.
The sculpture took over 18 months to create and weighs between seven and 10 tons.
Mashable asked Bradley what he hoped people would take away from his creation.
"I want it to affect both sides of the knife -- the people using the knives for crimes, and the victims. I want to make people understand the dangers that can come from a knife and its damage to families," He said. "I would like for the people to feel united and all fight against these violent offenses."
Bradley hopes that "Knife Angel" will go on display in Trafalgar Square before embarking on a UK tour.
"It's very humbling to know that these years of hard work can affect people in a profound way. And that anyone who has seen the piece understands the message straight away."
A serene angel built from objects that can perpetrate violence, "Knife Angel" makes a powerful statement against violence. We hope that Bradley's work raises people's awareness of the consequences of the knife and promotes healing for families who have been affected.
See more of Bradley's work at www.alfiebradley.com.
