Who's behind the striking 'Stop War' poster that's all over social media?

If you've been anywhere near social media over the last few weeks, you may have spotted a striking typographic poster doing the rounds. Featuring the words 'Stop War' cascading into one-another, the design is as simple as it is bold – and like all of the best posters, it's clearly striking a chord.

Currently sitting atop Reddit's r/DesignPorn page, the poster features a two-tone black and red design, with a colour scheme somewhat reminiscent of the famous Obama 'Hope' poster. But the message here is much more stark.

“STOP WAR” Typography by Barbara Galińska from r/DesignPorn

"Never been an art fan in my life but this makes emotional," one X user comments on the design, while another asks, "How long did it take you to make and think of something like this?"

The poster is the work of Barbara Galińska, a talented calligrapher hailing from Warsaw, Poland. Her biography on Artsper describes the power of the 'Stop War' print in particular. "No other work has aroused such interest and had such a reach as STOP WAR. There has already been a mural in Brooklyn, another will be made in Switzerland. Her posters were present at the FOA National March for Palestine. Children from the charity CISV (Children International Summer Village) in Italy wear T-shirts with this graphic motif. There was even a 77-meter STOP WAR inscription on Bridlington South Beach in England."

In an artist statement for the Freedom Project Kolekcja exhibition, Galińska describes the creation of the design. "My graphic “STOP WAR!” was created as a result of an international calligraphy challenge in November 2023, the main goal of which was to stimulate the creativity of artists. My reaction to the assigned theme “Stop war!” was to move away from typical calligraphy towards a powerful work that addresses the global problem of war. So my main personal challenge was to find a new, original solution to the well-known phrase “Stop war!” and transform it into a graphically powerful universal symbol for peace.

"Strong black and red colors immediately attract attention. And the unusual structure of the letters encourages longer observation and reflection on how they are constructed, where their lines lead, like a disturbing maze. I think the success of this graphic is that you have to stop to read the text. The overwhelming response to this graphic, far exceeding all my previous calligraphy works, is like a worldwide exhibition of one work. Although I do not expect magical solutions, I hope that my sign will become a universal symbol of peace."

Barbara Galińska's Stop War print is currently available to purchase from 45 Original.