World War One tree tribute at the War Memorial Park

An artist has created a tribute to soldiers who lost their lives during World War One at the War Memorial Park.

Katie O’Sullivan painted soldiers on five of the park’s 800 trees, each of which is named after a fallen soldier. The soldiers were painted on canvases, which were wrapped around the trees in order to prevent any damage.

As I was painting, people wanted to share their stories of their families who were affected by war. That to me was wonderful, and shows art brings us together

-Kate O’Sullivan

O’Sullivan said: “I grew up going to the War Memorial Park. I wanted to use visual images to help people remember why the park is there.

“I feel art has the ability to reach all people and, in this case, to show their connection and gratitude to the men, women, and animals of war.

“They’ve had a great response. People have been really moved by the work, and it has provoked a lot of emotion.

“As I was painting, people wanted to share their stories of their families who were affected by war. That to me was wonderful, and shows art brings us together.”

The artwork took a couple of days to create, and was on show for Remembrance Day commemorations at the park.

In a post on Instagram, O’Sullivan said: “Lest we forget. It was a moving morning at the park remembering the sacrifice made by men, women, and animals of war.

“I wanted to mark this important day by creating artwork within the trees at the war Memorial Park that are dedicated to the fallen.
“We will remember them.”

The park was opened in July 1921 as a tribute to the 2,587 Coventry residents who died during the First World War. Its 90-foot-tall war memorial monument was built in 1927 and dedicated by Field Marshal Douglas Haig in October 1927.

Inside the memorial is a room called the Chamber of Silence, which contains the ‘Roll of the Fallen’, a list of all Coventry men killed in the two World Wars and the Gulf War, and is open to the public every year on Remembrance Sunday.