Have Your Say by Frank To: Artist and lecturer at Inverness College UHI speaks about his involvement in the Humanium metal project to upcycle illegal firearms into artwork
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For most people, doing noble humanitarian deeds is a natural thing to do – like with Greta Thunberg and her social activism in climate change.
For me, the mission of destroying illegal firearms to create Humanium metal (a fair-trade upcycled alloy made from melted guns), is something that I have been doing much later in life than her.
How did I started collaborating with IM Swedish Development Partner – the organisation responsible for making Humanium metal – in making art from items that could kill? Honestly, it was due to personal circumstance.
It started in the later half of 2019, when something significant happened in my personal life.
That incident had a major impact on me both mentally and physically. While recovering, I had time to reflect. I concluded that in my life despite overachieving in art, getting recognised in the royal academies and winning awards, this was all selfish.
Only living for those things is not enough.
For me to make a stance of whatever capacity in making this world a better place is a moral obligation and duty as a decent human being.
And I suppose it was that which led me to work in collaboration with IM Swedish Development Partner on the Humanium metal project.
When we first met, I was already working on projects bringing awareness of gun violence with gunpowder art. When IM offered me the opportunity to work with them in creating a new colour and artwork from destroyed illegal firearms, you couldn’t ask for a more perfect partnership.
To be engaged with a major international humanitarian project which has the application of achieving a world without illegal gun violence is a major game changer for humanity.
What drives me to do this overwhelming humanitarian task? What I have experienced in my life especially in recent times are people who are simply content with the status quo in their lives.
They do not stand by their principles and have resolve.
I do not sit on the fence or let circumstance or ‘destiny’ define me. It’s important for me to stand by my convictions and actually commit to my core beliefs.
I prove my beliefs through my actions hence my dedication in my social activism such as with the Humanium metal project and political stance against the Chinese Communist Party which has possibly led me being banned from entering Hong Kong or China due to my personal involvement in the protest.
If good people do nothing, nothing will change for the better.
I know this mission of disarming the world of illegal firearms may be viewed impossible and possibly outlive me, but a constant source of inspiration I referred to both during my 2019 recovery and now with this Humanium metal project is a section of the poem I Will Persist Until I Succeed by Og Mandino.
It states: “I will persist until I succeed. I will never consider defeat and I will remove from my vocabulary such words and phrases like quit; cannot; unable; impossible; out of the question; improbable; failure; unworkable; hopeless and retreat. For they are the words of fools.”
Frank To is an artist and lecturer at Inverness College UHI.
If you want to Have Your Say, email newsdesk@hnmedia.co.uk
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