Jewellery Designer Margaux Wong's Armour of Peace

Using her signature cow horn, Margaux produced a piece of arm armour. The armour is made up of black and white cow horn squres held together by carefully stitched silver chans and hooks. 

Margaux's work celebrates peace in Burundi after decades of civil war. Noting her striking color choice Margaux explains "The Burundi flag is the main inspiration behind my composition and  symbolises a new era. The white that runs through the flag represents peace."

She goes on to say "While a soldier’s armour protects him from the harms of war, this armour protects against the negatives in life. It protects Burundi from hatred amongst its people, it brings us closer to peace and freedom. It keeps away the negative spirit of the past."

As Margaus notes ''This young girl in her photograph is  clothed in white – a representation of peace. She is draped in red cotton, representative of the suffering of the nation during its freedom struggle. around her symbolises hope. around her symbolises hope. White, green and red – the colors of our flag.  ''

In Burundi, the cow is a symbol of wealth and the horns are the lasting evidence of that wealth. They are a reminder of what was, and what is still is to come. The country was plagued by poverty for many years, but Burundi’s people are set to reclaim all of the wealth they have lost over the years. 

Nearly half of Burundi is under the age of 19 and, as Margaux says "they will change the narrative. They will wear the armour of peace, not war, and the stories they tell their children will be ones of harmony."