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At 92, Yoko Ono, the renowned multimedia artist and widow of John Lennon, finds peace and tranquility on a 600-acre farm in upstate New York. A new biography by David Sheff details Ono’s life and enduring legacy of promoting peace and freedom through her art, activism, and public campaigns.
Her son, Sean Lennon, praises his mother’s unwavering optimism and her profound impact on the world. “She had this ability to overcome difficulty with positive thinking,” he shares.
“She really wanted to teach the world to do that… I think there’s something profound about it.
And I think it affected the world.”
Ono’s daughter, Kyoko, who frequently visits her mother, offers a glimpse into her current life. “She believed she could change the world, and she did,” Kyoko states.
“Now she is able to be quiet — listen to the wind and watch the sky. She is very happy, in a happy place.
This is well-deserved and genuine peacefulness.”
Ono’s lifelong dedication to peace activism is perhaps best exemplified by her “Bed-In” protests with John Lennon during the Vietnam War. Newly married, the couple invited the press into their hotel room for a week, using their honeymoon as a platform to advocate for peace and discuss their opposition to the war. This unconventional protest, inspired by “sit-in” demonstrations, became a defining moment in their activism.
Throughout her career, Ono has also made significant philanthropic contributions to the arts and various charities, supporting peace initiatives and disaster relief efforts. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the LennonOno Grant for Peace, the Dr. Rainer Hildebrandt Human Rights Award, and the Theodor Wanner Award.