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Our Personalities

United for peace, together we make a difference.

Our Fondateur

Hedva Ser

Hedva Ser is a contemporary artist recognized for her sculptures, tapestries, and jewelry. She began her artistic journey at the prestigious Grande Chaumière in Paris, where she made her first presentation to the Nissim de Camondo art schools. She continued her studies at Hornsey College of Art in London. It was here that Hedva was introduced to painting, sculpture, and later tapestry. She reinvented tapestry by introducing a new technique relief. As a student of the renowned artist Alicia Penalba, Hedva Ser draws her inspiration from the natural world, finding beauty and strength in both its powerful and poetic aspects.

Internationally renowned, Hedva Ser has been recognized as a UNESCO Artist for Peace since 2011 and as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Cultural Diplomacy since 2017. Her exceptional artistic achievements have earned her prestigious honors, including the French government’s recognition with the Legion of Honor and the Officer of Arts and Letters.

While Hedva Ser's work spans tapestries, watercolors, and jewelry, she is best known for her powerful sculptures. Her monumental bronzes have become symbols of peace, tolerance, and intercultural dialogue around the world. Hedva Ser is one of the pioneers in using art to create social progress and advocate for peace. Over the years, her artistic endeavors have been focused on peacebuilding through art.

As part of her collaboration with UNESCO, Hedva Ser is the godmother of the Art Camp, Colors for the Planet project. This cultural diplomacy initiative, promoted by the National Commission for UNESCO in Andorra, gathers artists from conflict-stricken countries to use visual arts as a tool to deliver a message of peace, develop personal relationships, and lay the groundwork for peace. Since 2008, Art Camp, Colors for the Planet has provided a unique opportunity for artists to engage in mutual understanding, respect, and cooperation. The project's culminating exhibitions have been hosted in notable locations, including the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, the OSCE headquarters in Vienna, and UNESCO's headquarters during the Venice Biennale.

Hedva Ser speaks through her art with an eloquence that has placed her among the few artists who have successfully brought together people to reflect on some of the most difficult issues of our time. She continues to use her art to spread the message of peace and tolerance to new generations.

Her most important and recognized work today is the monumental bronze sculpture The Tree of Peace. For the artist, the tree symbolizes life, strength, and poetry. Creating this sculpture in the service of peace was a natural choice for Hedva Ser. The tree, with its trunk and branches, represents living together, balance, and understanding among people and nations. The Tree of Peace symbolizes understanding between nations, aims to resolve conflicts, and celebrates peace between peoples.

The tree's branches, adorned with spiritual symbols, represent intercultural dialogue, and its form serves as a metaphor for the renewal of the planet, humanity’s spirituality, and the rejuvenation of nature. Furthermore, The Tree of Peace responds to pressing concerns about the environment, including global warming, biodiversity loss, and deforestation. It stands as a reminder of nature’s fragility and our collective responsibility to preserve the cycle of life.