On her first visit to China over five years ago, she bought one of the replicas that now stands guard over her studio in Norway. Her purchase also proved to be the inspiration for her current project.
"I was sitting there with my husband looking at the big, impressive general, when I noticed his uniform looks like a woman's skirt. I realized it wouldn't be hard to turn him into a woman and my husband thought it was a fantastic idea."
Now, almost five years later, Heyerdahl is working with the still-wet statues as they come out of the factory molds. From behind the warriors retain their original uniform and hairstyle but the front is entirely re-sculpted.
"I add breasts and change the hairstyle to a woman's and give the pregnant ones big tummies. Some have their mouths open and others have their eyes closed. From the back they look like the original warriors but from the front they deliver a different message."
That message, encapsulating not only the women that die in war but also the mothers, sisters, wives and daughters of the dead, is one that Heyerdahl hopes will make people stop and think.
"Everyday there's killing around the world. War has always been a problem; whether it's 2,000 years ago or right now or in the future, war is horrible," said Heyerdahl who is not at all optimistic about the future.
After her warriors are kiln-dried and painted, she plans to first exhibit them in Beijing. The show is currently scheduled for February in Space 798, the largest gallery in Beijing's 798 alternative art community.
"In Beijing, I'll also add some multi-media elements including a DVD of war that will be seen on screens in the stomachs of a number of the statues," Heyerdahl said.
Heyerdahl is looking for sponsors to take her project to other parts of the world. She said she wants to show in Xi'an and there's been interest from an anti-war exhibit in South Korea and inquiries from the US. "I just want to get my message out there," said the artist.
(Xinhua News Agency October 16, 2006)