Poignant ‘Moments of War’ art exhibition in Hadleigh provides timely reminder on impact of conflict over Remembrance weekend

A poignant collection of artwork provided a timely reminder of the impact of war, coinciding with the commemorations of those who gave their lives in conflict.

The ‘Moments of War’ exhibition took over St Mary’s Church, in Hadleigh, from last Friday through to Monday – in the form of a display spanning almost 60 feet in length.

Created by local artists Cris Coe and Heather Bradshaw, it depicted scenes of conflict from World War One up to the present day, and the people and places affected.

The event – which was also collecting donations for Doctors Without Borders – coincided with the nationwide Remembrance Day services, as communities paused to pay their respects, 106 years on from Armistice Day.

Cris said the original inspiration for the exhibition, however, was actually seeing images of the human impact of a more recent conflict – the war in Syria.

“Some time ago, I started being very moved by what was happening in Syria and made lots of portraits of Syrian people,” she said.

“I felt the press, at that time, was not showing the people suffering and I felt we needed to see this.

“From that, I continued looking at the whole theme of war and the fact there are 120 places at war around the world at the moment.

“Then, I met Hazel at a local exhibition and the way she was doing her art was similar to mine, so I asked if we could collaborate.

“I imagined something like the Bayeaux Tapestry – a long canvas showing the different wars. Hazel has done the landscapes and I did the portraits – and we’ve got this continual work of 59 feet.”

Produced with the help of Keith Avis Printers, the canvas was crafted in order to be easily transportable, with the intention of taking it to other venues, so it can be showcased to a wider audience.

Attendees at the Hadleigh exhibition were also invited to record either their response to the artwork, or any memories that the piece provoked, such as personal experiences of war.

These recordings will be preserved for posterity and made available for others to listen to in future.

Cris said the positive response at the Hadleigh exhibition showed the value of engaging more people with the subject.

“We’ve had a lot of very positive remarks,” she said. “People thanked us for producing the work and said they didn’t realise there were still so many wars going on around the world.

“Some people shared their memories of World War Two and some had been in combat in the Falklands or Afghanistan.

“One Ukrainian lady, whose country has been torn apart, said it’s hard to imagine the fragility of peace.”

Cris added: “We’re hoping of moving the artwork all around, maybe to places like St Edmundsbury Cathedral.

“We want to engage younger people, because they won’t know the First or Second World Wars, but they do know Afghanistan and more recently.”