Artist Embellishes Cold War Fighter Aircraft with Colorful Glass Bead Art Drawn from African Heritage

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# Ralph Ziman’s MiG-21 Initiative Transforms a Fighter Jet Into a Stunning Emblem of Peace

South African creator Ralph Ziman is well acquainted with the profound impacts of history. Having been raised during Apartheid, a period characterized by severe societal divisions enforced by harsh, militarized policing, Ziman has committed his artistic journey to directly addressing this troubling legacy. Through his creative and profoundly resonant works, he revitalizes artifacts of violence, converting them into vivid symbols of hope, culture, and healing.

His newest and most ambitious endeavor, **The MiG-21 Project**, encourages audiences to perceive the instrument of war not merely as a symbol of havoc, but as a canvas for tranquility. Debuting at **The Museum of Flight** in Seattle from June 21, 2025, to January 26, 2026, this installation represents a remarkable metamorphosis: a retired Soviet-designed MiG-21 fighter jet adorned with elaborate African beadwork crafted by local artisans.

## Soaring Beyond Violence

“The goal of *The MiG-21 Project* is to take the most widely produced supersonic fighter aircraft and turn it into something exquisite that alters its significance,” explains Ziman. The MiG-21, once linked to Cold War hostilities and violent aerial conflicts, now emerges redefined as a vivid mosaic of African culture and artistry. Every detail of the 51-foot-long, 24-foot-wide jet, from its afterburner to a lowrider-style steering wheel replacing the conventional flight stick, showcases meticulous craftsmanship—prompting viewers to reconcile the fighter’s legacy of aggression with its new existence as a beacon of unity and strength.

## A Trilogy of Change: Weapons of Mass Production

The MiG-21 transformation concludes Ziman’s expansive **Weapons of Mass Production Trilogy**, a series intended to tackle colonialism, segregation, and militarism through creative expression. This trilogy commenced with **The AK-47 Project**, where Ziman partnered with artisans to produce decorative, beaded representations of the notorious assault rifle. Following this was **The Casspir Project**, which involved enveloping an 11-ton, apartheid-era South African armored vehicle in vibrant, traditional patterns.

Throughout the trilogy, Ziman’s focus has remained steadfast: to highlight African beadwork—a craft historically marginalized and dismissed as mere tourist art—to elevate Indigenous Southern African creativity and recast narratives of trauma through perspectives of beauty, dignity, and cultural pride.

## A Partnership Across Generations

At the heart of *The MiG-21 Project* is Ziman’s collaboration with skilled local artisans, whose techniques are rooted in time-honored traditions passed across generations. “People have often labeled it as tourist art—it’s nonsense,” Ziman recalls regarding past perceptions of beadwork. “I have always believed it was undervalued because the level of skill and artistry involved in beadwork is remarkable.” Now, these artisans contribute to a project that requires both finesse and creative vision, fostering a conversation between modern art and ancestral wisdom.

Ziman envisions this endeavor not merely as a form of protest, but as an upliftment: “We’re going to create beadwork that will astonish people.”

## Beyond the Jet: Afrofuturistic Aspirations

The exhibition at the Museum of Flight will also display custom Afrofuturistic flight suits, designed and created by Ziman and his team. These suits represent a reimagining of aerospace imagery, merging African creativity with futuristic design, aiming for aspirations extending beyond historical trauma toward a vision of empowered Black futures in aviation and more.

Additional materials accompanying the exhibition will provide context regarding the MiG-21’s intricate history, detailing its involvement in global conflicts from the Cold War onwards, and highlighting how symbols of military dominance can be reclaimed and reinterpreted through cultural creativity.

## A Space for Introspection and Healing

In the end, Ziman’s art urges us to pause—to challenge default associations of objects with their historical contexts, to appreciate how culture and tradition can redefine even the most troubling of emblems. *The MiG-21 Project* does not eliminate the past; rather, it recontextualizes it, presenting viewers with an opportunity to reflect, heal, and envision transformative progress.

As racial injustices and militarized policing continue to resonate globally, Ziman’s work echoes far beyond the borders of South Africa. It represents a vibrant reimagining, a manifesto for peace intricately woven bead by bead onto the instruments of warfare.

With The MiG-21 Project, Ralph Ziman is not merely narrating a tale—he is redrafting it.

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## Exhibition Information:
**Ralph Ziman**
**The MiG-21 Project**
June 21, 2025 – January 26, 2026
**The Museum of Flight**
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