Flower of Life and Hope

Technique: metal sculpture

Dimensions: 200 cm (height)

Object: The object is a replica of the contemporary sculpture by Mariusz Kulpa commemorating the victims of the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki in 1945, which can be found in the Nagasaki Peace Park. The monument has the form of a cast bronze flower bud on a stem, affixed to a brown, three-armed footing, which stands on small, grey-pink granite pavers. Two faces, one with open eyes and another with closed eyes, can be seen at the front on the flower petals. A concave inscription: “Kulpa 86” is on the back, on one of the petals. The granite paving around the monument features a bronze plate with the inscription: “Flower of life and peace – replica of a sculpture that was the Polish nation’s gift to the Nagasaki Peace Park. Author M. Kulpa, Gdańsk, 9 August 1988” and one with the same inscription in Japanese.

Place: On 9 August 1945 Americans dropped the “Fat Man” atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki from the “Bockscar” B-29 Superfortress. It was the second (after the bombing of Hiroshima) and so far the last nuclear attack in world history. According to estimates, the bomb’s explosion in Nagasaki caused the death of approx. 80,000 people, while a further 45,000 died from burns and radiation sickness. The monument situated in the square near the Sobieski roundabout commemorates this tragedy and encourages reflection.

About the author: Mariusz Kulpa (born in 1946 in Leżajsk). He studied at the Faculty of Sculpture at the Cracow Academy of Fine Arts and obtained his diploma in the studio of Prof. Hajdecki in 1974. Since 1977 he has been a teacher at the Gdańsk Academy of Fine Arts. In 2002 he was awarded the title of professor. He actively participates in collective and individual exhibitions, both in Poland and abroad, as well as competitions, etc., receiving awards and distinctions. Author of six monument installations, including Gift of the Polish Nation for Nagasaki (Japan 1986), Monument to John Paul II – Gdańsk-Zaspa (1999), Monument to the Polish Underground State and the Home Army in Poznań (2007). His works can be found in private and museum collections, both domestic and foreign. In 2012, he received the “Meritorious for Polish Culture” Honorary Award from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, in 2015 the Academy of Fine Arts Rector’s Award (1^st degree) for lifetime achievements in teaching, in 2011 the Award of the Mayor of Gdańsk in the field of culture, and twice the Award of the Gdańsk Art Society for sculptural art.

Condition of the object: good

Owner/guardian: Gdańsk City Hall, Gdańsk Road and Greenery Authority

Author of the entry: Kora Kowalska