A few years ago, Turkish artist Ugur Gallenkus started creating a series of poignant collages serving as stark reminders of the ongoing injustices around the world. And, of course, he began to share them on his social media account. The pairing of an image that shows what some would recognize as "the normal life" against an image depicting the consequences of war, environmental crisis, or economical injustice made the work go viral. We introduced his work to our audiences back in May 2019, and were curious to see where the concept could be pushed to.

Aware of the strength of his work, the artist recently teamed up with publisher Arzu Tunca and recently released Parallel Universes of Children on World Children's Day on November 20th. The publisher noted:"The book, a beautiful 11 x 11 inch, 108-page hardcover volume, acts as both a call to action and a tender meditation on the preciousness of our youngest, most vulnerable citizens alongside the suffering so many of them endure. It features 50 collages from Gallenkus’ moving, ongoing series about the starkly different realities inhabited by children around the world. Parallel Universes of Children aims to make a difference in how we understand children’s lives and the social disparities that separate those who live in privilege from those who are oppressed."

Besides the heartbreaking collages, it features statistics, quotes, and information referring to helping fight the relevant issues affecting today’s children: from hunger to poverty, war, child trafficking, immigration, healthcare, and education. The artist and the publishers are hoping that those of us who get to own or read it accept the responsibility to act to protect the world’s most vulnerable inhabitants. —Sasha Bogojev

The book officially launched on November 20th and is available through https://ugurgallenkus.com/