The AK-47 is one of the most devastating weapons ever created by man, and is often cited as being the most deadly - so what better to turn into a peace symbol?

Many weapons have been chrome or gold plated over the the years, now dozens more have been modified into extreme sculptures as part of an exhibition called AKA PEACE in London.

Former Army Reservist Bran Symondson says he was inspired to put on the exhibition after serving in Afghanistan.

"We noticed they (Afghan police) would adorn their AK-47s with flowers, stickers, and I realised it was the only possession in their life really so it was a bit like a teenager would pimp up their car in the UK," he said.

Damien Hirst, Antony Gormley, Marc Quinn and the Chapman brothers have all contributed. But under the trimmings, these were once real killing machines.

Artist Leila Shawa told reporters: "I'm very familiar with AK-47s so for me it was not a very strange feeling to carry the gun, but my first question to Bran was 'how many people did this gun kill?

"And while cleaning the gun in order to start working on it I went into the barrel of the gun and I found congealed blood and that brought the reality home."

The weapons have a horrifying past, but this select few of the over 70 million AK-47s produced have become less Art of War, and more art from war.