Echoes of Resilience
Echoes of Resilience
In Paris, Rome and Copenhagen, art is bringing refugee stories to life.
Through the project “Echoes of Resilience”, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and the European Union (EU) are partnering with local artists in three cities to honor the strength and resilience of refugees – and recognize the support of the EU and its citizens who help them build a future in the countries that have welcomed them.
What is the project about:
"Echoes of Resilience" shines a light on this global partnership through public art.
Each mural showcases how – thanks to EU support for refugees in countries hosting displaced people around the world, and through their own determination and bravery – refugees are not only surviving displacement but building new lives for themselves and their communities.
Art brings people together. It helps us see one another and understand different journeys and experiences. It helps break down barriers.
Who we are:
UNHCR is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights, and building better futures for people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. We lead international action to protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people. Read more about our work here.
Working together with the EU:
The European Union is one of UNHCR’s closest partners. Thanks to EU funding, we deliver life-saving support and long-term solutions for refugees across the globe.
There are more than 117 million people forcibly displaced from their homes worldwide. With EU support, UNHCR can reach them in some of the toughest crises.
In Ukraine, EU funding helps displaced families repair war-damaged homes, stay warm through the winter with portable heaters, and buy essential items through cash assistance. In Jordan and Lebanon, EU support allows Syrian refugees to meet their daily needs and build self-reliance through training and job opportunities. Across the Sahel and East Africa, it provides tents, water and education, and supports refugees with the skills they need to rebuild their lives. This partnership enables UNHCR to protect, assist and empower displaced people – from emergency relief to long-term solutions so they can become self-reliant.
Find out more on the partnership between UNHCR and EU here
The artwork:
Copenhagen
Title: Resilient Roots
Location: Frederikssundsvej 39, Copenhagen, Denmark
Artist: Peter Skensved
Artist Peter Skensved’s mural is a burst of hope and colour grabbing the attention of passersby along Frederickssundsvej, one of the main arteries leading into Copenhagen. The painting portrays a refugee family building a new future—a phoenix rising from the rubble of a turbulent past.
The mural’s background is composed in dark, desaturated tones—a landscape of broken buildings and broken dreams under a sky that still holds so much promise. The twelve yellow stars against blue subtly reference the EU’s involvement and support for UNHCR’s work.
The foreground offers light, warmth, and renewal. It is here the viewer’s attention is drawn to the gentle stream of water from the watering can, the tall plant emerging from the ground, and the children, helping their mother work towards a better future.
Artist bio:
Peter Skensved is a Danish street artist and muralist based in Copenhagen, known for his monumental works that bridge graffiti culture and contemporary public art. With more than three decades of experience in the urban art scene, Peter has become one of Denmark’s most respected practitioners of large-scale mural paintings.
A co-founder and leading artist at the Institut for Urban Kunst (IfUK) in Copenhagen, he has helped shape the city’s visual identity through murals that transform urban spaces into shared cultural landmarks.
Paris
Title: The Extra Mile
Location: Ecole Renard, 16 Rue Du Renard, Paris, France
Artist: Mahn Kloix
In Paris, French artist Mahn Kloix has partnered with the centrally located Ecole Renard to transform the school’s roof and walls into a vibrant cut-out mural titled The Extra Mile. The installation illustrates the journeys refugee children around the world undertake to reach school – and how the EU and UNHCR work together to help them get closer to their dream. The artwork features life-sized cutouts of refugee children from Venezuela, Syria, Ukraine, South Sudan, Myanmar and Afghanistan, each walking to school, symbolizing hope, resilience and the universal right to education.
Artist bio:
Mahn Kloix is a street artist from Marseille whose monumental murals celebrate humanity and commitment. His work shines light on social struggles and amplifies voices that are too often unheard, focusing on faces, gazes, and the expressive language of hands. Present in many cities around the world, Mahn transforms streets into meeting places, where art becomes a universal language, both intimate and collective.
Rome
Title: Nurturing Hope
Location: Via Marco Marcelliano 32, Municipio VIII, Rome, Italy
Artist: Alice Pasquini
Nurturing Hope is located in Tor Marancia, one of Rome’s most renowned neighbourhoods for public art. The artwork depicts a young refugee girl offering a small plant to her younger brother, who sits on a suitcase that once symbolized their home. Warm light streams through the windows, reflecting their dreams of a new beginning – a quiet gesture of care and renewal. In the background, tents subtly evoke the journey from displacement to belonging. With its restrained palette and intimate composition, the mural speaks to dignity, protection and the fragile beginnings of a new life.
Artist bio:
Alice Pasquini is a Italian visual artist from Rome whose work focuses on human empathy and resilience. She has created murals on every continent, transforming walls in cities across Italy and around the world into poetic reflections on everyday life. Her projects, developed in collaboration with public institutions and cultural organizations, explore dialogue between art and social themes. In 2021, she was awarded the title of Knight to the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in recognition of her artistic achievements and contribution to culture.
Explore the murals
See photos and video with the artists that inspired the works:
🤫Listen closely… Walls that once stood silent now tell stories of refugee resilience, hope & new beginnings.
— UNHCR Representation for EU Affairs (@Refugees_EU) December 1, 2025
With support of @eu_echo, UNHCR is partnering with 3 talented artists to share messages of solidarity in cities across Europe.
Stay tuned. We can’t wait to share more. pic.twitter.com/uUre3LOpZ5
Find out more
Visit the EU ECHO website
