Art to Disarm — Bran Symondson
Three ways to collect
SculpturesSculptures
Original worksAK-47s, sub-machine guns and grenades, each made from a genuine deactivated weapon. Most are one of one.
PrintsPrints
Signed & numberedBran’s most celebrated sculptures as fine art prints, in fixed editions that are never reissued.
FramedFramed
Embellished by handMacro photography with the real butterfly, 24ct gold leaf, still life and the Banana Mag.
Featured work · Macro lens
Electric Blue Morpho
Bran’s macro photography of the Morpho wing, framed with a real butterfly. Because every butterfly is different, no two of these works can ever be the same.
- Year
- 2025
- Medium
- Printed with real butterfly mounted on paper, framed
- Dimensions
- 50.8 × 76.2 cm (20 × 30 in)
- Edition
- 1 of 1
Signature works
Sculptures
The artist
“The metamorphosis of butterflies brings about a remarkable transformation, turning a once destructive tool into Mother Nature’s playground.”
— Bran Symondson
On tour with special forces in Afghanistan, Bran watched Afghan soldiers and police decorate their AK-47s with flowers and stickers. It gave him the idea that defines his work: to treat the weapon as a blank canvas and disarm it — turning a symbol of fear and loathing into an object of beauty and intrigue.
His background in 1990s documentary photography still shapes every piece: not just what the eye sees, but the story behind it. His work has been shown at House of Fine Art in Mayfair and is held in collections worldwide.
About the artist →The signature
The glass bullet
Each bullet is hand-blown in England and filled with something that carries meaning — a miniature time capsule set into the work.
About the glass bullets →Sourced
Weapons from conflict zones, decommissioned and legally deactivated.
Disarmed
Butterflies, world currency, gold and military maps transform the surface.
Encapsulated
Hand-blown glass bullets hold sand, stones, soil or keepsakes.
Presented
Wall-mounted, freestanding, or on a marble or museum plinth.
Embellished & framed
Framed
Collaborations
ThruDark — “Everest – The Ascent”
Commissioned after four British veterans went from London to the summit of Everest and back in seven days, raising funds for armed forces charities. Prints in an edition of 100.
Porsche 911 × Everrati
Sustainable innovation meets artistic vision — honouring what already exists and making it better, smarter and more beautiful.
For collectors
The Collector’s Guide
Every series and edition in one guide — plus first access to new releases before they go public.