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Borders & Boundaries: Embroidery art that highlights the world's humanitarian crisis

In her project Borders and Boundaries, embroidery artist Danielle Clough – featured previously – weaved a beautiful colourful bird into wired fencing, as commissioned by United Nations for the lead up to its first World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul today.

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Colourful embroidered bird with blue, orange and cream plumage perched on pink and red flowers against rusted wire fencing, by Danielle Clough

Hundreds of world leaders have gathered for the event, the objective of which is to improve the global humanitarian system – tackling the estimated 130 million people who are in need of aid around the world.

Danielle's artwork aims to highlight the issues up for discussion. She was one of many artists from around the globe to create and donate a piece of art, symbolising the “Agenda for Humanity”, the Secretary-General’s vision for the future of humanitarian action.

Created on a rusted gate in a burnt-down car shop in Cape Town, she explains: "The ideas of boundaries and borders are very relevant today. Either feeling bound to them or trapped behind them; Our kindness and understanding depending on what side of the fence we are on. This to me speaks to 'Prevent and End conflict'. If we look at the things that divide us differently, if we see our differences as opportunity we can see that we are all stitched together. We can find peace."

For more information about Danielle, visit www.danielleclough.com. To discover more about the World Humanitarian Summit, visit worldhumanitariansummit.org.

Via direct submission | All images courtesy of By Jono

Embroidery artist Danielle Clough stitches a colourful blue bird with pink flowers into wire fencing against a brick wall background
Person with short brown hair and freckles looking downward, wearing a white garment against a blurred background
Colourful embroidered bird with blue, orange and pink thread perched on vibrant flowers against rusted wire mesh fencing on a weathered brick wall
Embroidered blue and orange bird with vibrant pink and red flowers perched on a rusty wire fence against a blurred industrial background
Hands touching an embroidered colourful bird woven into wire fencing, part of Danielle Clough's Borders & Boundaries artwork
Child's hand touching embroidered colourful bird stitched into wire fencing on a brick wall
Embroidered colourful bird with blue, orange and purple threads attached to rusted wire fencing, created by Danielle Clough for the UN World Humanitarian Summit
Embroidered colourful bird with blue, orange and pink threads perched on flowering stems against rusted metal fencing by Danielle Clough
Embroidered blue and orange bird with pink and red flowers perched on rusted wire fencing by Danielle Clough for the UN World Humanitarian Summit
Embroidered bird with blue, orange and purple plumage surrounded by colourful flowers stitched onto rusted metal fencing by Danielle Clough
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