The famous concept penned by Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839 claimed the pen is mightier than the sword, and one north artist is putting that adage to the test.
Frank To, an artist and lecturer at Inverness College UHI, has become one of the first to receive a pen made completely of the broken down components of illegal firearms.
Mr To will put the Humanium metal scribe to work in a bid to raise awareness of the devastating effects firearms on communities across the globe.
Every aspect of the artworks will be constructed of the metal, with a fine powder of broken down Humanium even added to the ink of the pen.
Only 500 pens have been constructed by Swedish firm A Good Company.
Mr To said: “In my work with gunpowder, I am not using it for a destructive element as it is used in weapons, but I am using it in a more creative sense to produce artwork.
“The message I am trying to portray is we live in a time where everything is about mass consumerism and wars are fought for capitalism.
“There is a price for capitalism or profit and that has come from the sacrifice of developing countries.”
Funds generated from the sale of the works will be distributed in countries affected by illegal gun violence such as El Salvador, Guyana and Columbia.
Anders Ankarlid of A Good Company said: “Working with Frank To has been inspiring and has proven that the pen can indeed be mightier than the sword.”
