Monument 1
Monument 1, entitled “Let There Be Peace” was created by artist Alexandra Nechita. The monument was dedicated at Istana, the Presidential Palace of Singapore, by President Nathan and the artist. The event was attended by dignitaries from around the globe and covered by worldwide media.
“Let There Be Peace” began as a painting. Next, the artist created a 3-foot maquette (miniature). The maquette was then scaled up to a full-sized monument, standing over 11-feet tall.
Today, Nechita’s “Let There Be Peace” stands at the entrance to the Singapore Museum of Fine Art, a gift to the people of Asia by Nechita and the Global Peace Initiative in the name of peace.
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Artist's Biography
Alexandra Nechita was born in Romania and immigrated to the United States when she was two years old. She began drawing and coloring by age three and by age seven, she was already painting. When she was just nine years old, an art dealer and publisher named Ben Valenty saw her paintings hanging in a used bookstore. Recognizing her gift, Valenty signed her to a publishing contract which was unheard-of at the time.
Galleries and the art establishment initially rejected Valenty’s efforts to promote the young artist. After all, they reasoned, how could a nine-year-old have anything interesting to say artistically. More from frustration than anything else, Valenty took Nechita’s story to the media who immediately embraced her. Soon, her story and artistic gifts were profiled on The Oprah Winfrey Show, 60 Minutes, The Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning, USA Today, Vanity Fair Magazine, and countless dozens of other media outlets.
By age ten, Nechita was one of the best-selling living artists in the world. When Valenty and his partner, Ernest Lewis founded the Global Peace Initiative in 2003, Nechita was the logical choice to create the first monument.
The Original Painting
See the original painting “Let There Be Peace” and a version in glass.
The Coins
In recognition of the Global Peace Initiative and Nechita’s commitment to the message of peace, Queen Elizabeth II commissioned a set of legal tender coins with a Nechita painting engraved on them entitled Peace is the Only Option.
