Models of inculturation celebrated in art

My latest interview for ArtWay is with Paul Chandler of Caravan and artist Brian Whelan about WHITE ROBE: An exhibition celebrating the life of Rev. Dr. John Roberts among Native Americans. John Roberts was a Welsh Episcopal/Anglican priest who served on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming from 1883-1949. His ministry stands as an exemplary model of inculturation, as he honoured indigenous Native American spirituality and embraced their culture and languages.

Working in narrative series in the way that Whelan has done has synergies with the work of Greg Tricker (series on Anne Frank, Francis of Assisi, Joan of Arc, etc.) and murals about Brother Joseph Dutton that André Girard painted for Blessed Sacrament Church at Stowe in Vermont. Chandler is familiar with Girard’s paintings and windows that commemorate the influential ministry of Dutton in Hawaii and sees similarities with Roberts, as both “tell a story of remarkable servants, whose examples have much to teach us today.”

Girard was a multi-faceted artist and creative individual who was not only an internationally-renowned painter, but a film and television innovator, a printer of fine books, a French Resistance fighter, a writer, a lecturer, a stage-designer, and educator (see my ArtWay article on Girard for more information). When he visited Blessed Sacrament Church at Stowe in 1949 to install his paintings of the Way of the Cross, he saw the empty space with only an altar and a crucifix and became inspired to meet the challenge of creating an entire atmosphere of sacred space within the church through his own creative vision.

The continuous row of 36 windows surrounding the uppermost level of the church provided the perfect opportunity for him to utilize his technique of painting on light. Upon hearing of the humanitarian efforts of Brother Joseph Dutton, he was inspired to paint highlights of his life in Molokai on large-scaled murals on the outer walls of the church so that people could visually experience his life of sacrifice and dedication.

Brother Dutton felt drawn to his service at the leper colony on the island of Molokai, after hearing of the ministry there of Father Damien, who had built homes, an orphanage, and churches there and, as a result, contracted leprosy himself. At the age of forty, Dutton had a spiritual transformation and found a deeper purpose in his life by going to Molokai to help Father Damien in his mission of caring for the lepers. Following the death of Father Damien, the responsibility of directing the entire settlement fell to Brother Dutton. Dutton not only initiated many building projects but also made the residents realize they were part of a community, and with some training could help build each others’ houses, grow crops, and raise chickens to help feed their families. He also used his letter-writing skills to communicate with people all over the world to bring attention to the needs of his flock.

Another series of paintings celebrating an example of inculturation among indigenous peoples is DeGrazia and Padre Kino by Ettore “Ted” DeGrazia at the Mission in the Sun in Tucson, US.

In 1687, Padre Eusebio Kino arrived in northern Mexico on horseback traveling into what is now Arizona. Padre Kino explored the vast lands of Arizona and California, making friends with the Native Americans whom he encountered as he mapped the region. Unfortunately, with him also came the soldiers of the King of Spain, who brought guns and swords, while the gentle priest brought a simple cross to introduce Christianity without destroying the native cultures. He told them stories of Christ and the Bible, introduced them to Christian ceremonies, and together they built 24 missions in 24 years that stretched from Sonora, Mexico, to Southern Arizona. San Xavier del Bac, also known as the “White Dove of the Desert,” is one of the most impressive of those missions. It is located just southwest of Tucson.

DeGrazia was inspired by the memorable events in the life and times of Padre Kino, the heroic, historic and immortal priest-colonizer of the Southwestern desert. Since childhood, DeGrazia admired Padre Kino for his education, life of adventure, and respect for Native Americans. DeGrazia traveled to every Kino mission as he lovingly studied the life of his favorite Jesuit priest. The Mission in the Sun is dedicated to his memory.

Nancy Wiechec writes that: "DeGrazia died in 1982. Among his tens of thousands of surviving works are the Way of the Cross; multiple depictions of Our Lady of Guadalupe; a series on Jesuit Father Eusebio Kino, a missionary to the Southwest; and a mission, which the artist designed, built and dedicated to Father Kino.

“I don’t know how many religious paintings he did, but he did a pretty good share,” said Lance Laber, executive director of the DeGrazia Foundation, the organization DeGrazia founded to preserve his art.

According to Laber, DeGrazia’s Catholic heritage, the faith and spirituality of the Indians he befriended and his admiration of Father Kino were inspirations for his religious works.”

These works began after a priest "approached DeGrazia about painting the Stations of the Cross for the St. Thomas More Catholic Newman Center at the University of Arizona." DeGrazia "fulfilled the request in 1964."

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Lone Justice - Wade In The Water.

Paul Chandler and Brian Whelan - WHITE ROBE: An exhibition celebrating the life of Rev. Dr John Roberts among Native Americans

My latest interview for ArtWay is with Paul Chandler of Caravan and artist Brian Whelan about WHITE ROBE: An exhibition celebrating the life of Rev. Dr John Roberts among Native Americans:

'Chandler thinks “that artists can lead the way today” and “are more needed than ever”: “Artists provide new pathways of understanding that transcend borders and how we see the ‘other’. Brian Whelan is a brilliant example of someone whose creative gift does this. His focus on the lives of remarkable individuals of faith, whether it be Rev. John Roberts or someone else, enables people to be captivated by their stories, which is one of the most effective means of communicating.”'

See here to read my Artlyst interview with Paul Chandler.

ArtWay.eu has been hailed "a jewel in the crown of work in Christianity and the arts," and having come under the custodianship of the Kirby Laing Centre, the much-loved publication is entering an exciting new chapter in its story with the launch of a new website in September.

Since its founding, ArtWay has published a rich library of materials and resources for scholars, artists, art enthusiasts and congregations concerned about linking art and faith. Founded by Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker in 2009, ArtWay's significance is reflected in its designation as UNESCO digital heritage material in the Netherlands.

In the video above, the ArtWay team recounts the history of this much-loved resource and looks ahead to an exciting future for ArtWay.

Back in 2018, I interviewed ArtWay founder Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker for Artlyst on the legacy of ArtWay itself. I have written frequently for the site with a recent piece being an interview with British artist Hannah Rose Thomas, who is also an author, human rights activist and a UNESCO PhD Scholar at the University of Glasgow.

My visual meditations for ArtWay include work by María Inés Aguirre, Giampaolo Babetto, Marian Bohusz-Szyszko, Alexander de Cadenet, Christopher Clack, Marlene Dumas, Terry Ffyffe, Jake Flood, Antoni Gaudi, Nicola Green, Maciej Hoffman, Gwen John, Lakwena Maciver, S. Billie Mandle, Giacomo Manzù, Sidney Nolan, Michael Pendry, Maurice Novarina, Regan O'Callaghan, Ana Maria Pacheco, John Piper, Nicola Ravenscroft, Albert Servaes, Henry Shelton, Anna Sikorska, Alan Stewart, Jan Toorop, Andrew Vessey, Edmund de Waal and Sane Wadu.

My Church of the Month reports include: All Saints Parish Church, Tudeley, Aylesford Priory, Canterbury Cathedral, Chapel of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, Hem, Chelmsford Cathedral, Churches in Little Walsingham, Coventry Cathedral, Église de Saint-Paul à Grange-Canal, Eton College Chapel, Lumen, Metz Cathedral, Notre Dame du Léman, Notre-Dame de Toute Grâce, Plateau d’Assy,Romont, Sint Martinuskerk Latem, St Aidan of Lindisfarne, St Alban Romford, St. Andrew Bobola Polish RC Church, St. Margaret’s Church, Ditchling, and Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft, St Mary the Virgin, Downe, St Michael and All Angels Berwick and St Paul Goodmayes, as well as earlier reports of visits to sites associated with Marian Bohusz-Szyszko, Marc Chagall, Jean Cocteau, Antoni Gaudi and Henri Matisse.

Blogs for ArtWay include: Congruity and controversy: exploring issues for contemporary commissions; Ervin Bossanyi: A vision for unity and harmony; Georges Rouault and André Girard: Crucifixion and Resurrection, Penitence and Life Anew; Photographing Religious Practice; Spirituality and/in Modern Art; and The Spirituality of the Artist-Clown.

Interviews for ArtWay include: Matthew Askey, Sophie Hacker, Peter Koenig, David Miller, Belinda Scarlett and Hannah Rose Thomas.

I have also reviewed: Art and the Church: A Fractious Embrace, Kempe: The Life, Art and Legacy of Charles Eamer Kempe and Jazz, Blues, and Spirituals for ArtWay.

Other of my writings for ArtWay can be found here.

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Michael Kiwanuka - One And Only.

Exhibitions update

With the easing of lockdown in many countries, exhibitions are beginning to be mounted again while online exhibitions are also proliferating. Here is my roundup of exhibitions that have caught my attention:

Unleavened is a show which opened at the Dyman Gallery in Stellenbosch shortly before the Covid-19 lock-down and which has subsequently gone online. Unleavened is organised by 40 Stones, a group committed to curating exhibitions which display the rich connections between art and faith. They suggest that leaven, the agent that causes dough to rise, provides a metaphor through which to view the work of young artists as they explore the presence and impact of culture, gender, politics and religion in their lives today.

Caravan's To Heal The World is an international online artistic reflection on mending the brokenness of our global family. Caravan believe that artists are natural change agents and can lead the way. This exhibition is a visual expression by artists about mending the brokenness of our global family, as well as of their desire to repair our world through art itself. 119 qualifying artwork submissions were received through a global open call, and an independent jury selected 30 artworks for the exhibition.

Impact is a new 3D online art exhibition from Chaiya Art Awards where 60 UK artists explore the impact of Covid 19, around the world, on families, society, health care and beliefs. This curated exhibition features sculpture, painting, drawing, video, photography and mixed media artwork. Artists are giving from 30-100% of sales to designated charities to support those who are vulnerable during this pandemic.

Mitchell Fine Art is presenting a vibrant exhibition from an artist born in the remote centre of Australia in the late 1920’s – Kudditji Kame Kngwarreye. Originally a stockman and a miner, Kudditji Kngwarreye did not start painting until the 1980’s. Utilising bold compositions, Kngwarreye manipulated colour and form in highly emotive depictions of his ancestral homelands in Central Australia. Painting without a predetermined perspective, Kngwarreye’s paintings are visceral and spontaneous and evoke feelings for and connection to country. ‘As an artist he was without inhibition. To compliment the exhibition, Mitchell Fine Art has invited Sydney artist Idris Murphy to curate a response to Kudditji Kngwarreye's paintings through his own work.A renowned Australian artist, Idris Murphy is known for his gestural paintings that depict his intimate awareness and a passionate attachment to the Australian landscape. Idris Murphy continuously refers to inspiration drawn from Aboriginal artists and the holistic experience of the land.

Leaves of Grass at Page Galleries features a selection of works on paper from Max Gimblett’s archive. There is an onslaught of vibrant, riotous colour, pattern, and texture in these works. Great swathes of colour – yellow, purple, pink – inch out to the edge of the paper and beyond. There is a sense of release, freedom. This exhibition borrows its title from a collection of poetry by American poet Walt Whitman (1819–1892). While the first edition of Leaves of Grass was published in 1855, Whitman spent most of his life writing and re-writing the collection. Gimblett himself is constantly revising, revisiting. In these works we see the familiar motif of the quatrefoil, the wheel; subjects Gimblett returns to again and again, each repetition lending new life to their form. And like Whitman, whose poem I Sing the Body Electric exalts the human body and its relation to the soul, Gimblett aligns the mind and body through his practice, drawing on philosophies of Zen Buddhism rather than the traditional western division of mind-body dualism.

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Valerie June - Cosmic Dancer.

Kahlil Gibran: A Guide for our Times

Kahlil Gibran: A Guide for Our Times is a CARAVAN peacebuilding exhibition with editions in Bahrain and Egypt that culminates at Sotheby's in London, featuring work by 38 acclaimed Middle Eastern contemporary artists inspired by the Lebanese born poet-artist Kahlil Gibran and the universal message of peace and harmony found in his poetry, writings and art, such as in his best-selling book The Prophet, which celebrates its 95th publishing anniversary this year. 

The exhibition visually highlights how Kahlil Gibran, a supreme East-West figure, can be an unparalleled guide for our times, related to peace, harmony and the building of bridges between the creeds and cultures of the Middle East and West. The exhibition reflects the compelling universal spiritual contribution that Kahlil Gibran has made and continues to make to the world, showing how Gibran’s voice is timeless, a guiding spirit for our times. Gibran’s work focuses on the themes that unite all peoples and religions, leading the reader or viewer on a journey towards peace and harmony, reconnecting us with humanity.

Kahlil Gibran: A Guide For Our Times. Sotheby’s, London. August 6-10, 2018 (Open to the Public: Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM ). A CARAVAN exhibition sponsored by Barclays Bank Middle East / North Africa.

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Nadim Naaman and Dana Al Fardan - I Know Now.

In Search of a Prophet: A Spiritual Journey with Kahlil Gibran

Having recently interviewed Paul-Gordon Chandler for Artlyst, I've been very interested to read his latest book In Search of a Prophet: A Spiritual Journey with Kahlil Gibran.



In Search of a Prophet is a fascinating journey through the all-embracing spirituality of Kahlil Gibran, author of the bestselling book The Prophet. Capturing our imaginations and enriching our spirits, Paul-Gordon Chandler explores this beloved writer and poet-artist, a mystic who sought to build bridges and tear down walls.

In Search of a Prophet is not a traditional biography, but a compelling spiritual journey through Gibran’s writings, art, and the places he lived. From his birthplace village high in the snowy mountains of Lebanon, Chandler leads us through his emigration to Boston, art training in Paris, career in New York, and to the far reaching places of influence his writings and art have traveled.

Delving into passages of some of Gibran’s writings—both famous and lesser-known—Chandler breathes life into this captivating poet artist who moved beyond religion to the core of universal spirituality and was a unique blend of East and West. His voice is timeless, appealing to heart and mind, faith and reason, a much-needed guide for our times.

Reviews

“A profound spiritual journey into the life and work of the beloved poet, Kahlil Gibran, a much-needed guide for our times.”
-Reza Aslan, author of No god but God and Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth

“Paul-Gordon Chandler’s journey into Kahlil Gibran’s life and timeless teachings offers solace and shelter in our divided and troubled times.”
-Jeffrey Fleishman, senior writer on film, art and culture at the Los Angeles Times

“An inspiring and vivid exploration into the all-embracing spirituality of Kahlil Gibran, sharing with us profound wisdom that can guide us through the challenges of our world today. A modern classic of spirituality.”
-Rev. Dr. Serene Jones, President and Johnston Family Professor for Religion and Democracy at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York

“Gibran, assisted by Chandler, will introduce you to a great land that lies within you.”
-Brian D. McLaren, author of The Great Spiritual Migration

"Before reading this book my only real knowledge was the poem of Kahlil Gibran often read at weddings in the 1970s and 80s, and frequently caricatured. What that limited knowledge didn't reveal was the story of his life, the depth of his convictions, and the gift of his wisdom. This book tells his story, reveals the depth and passes on that gift."
-The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church

"Chandler succeeds in providing a portrait of a hard-won spirituality that transcended religion even while embracing it."
-Library Journal

"A powerful glimpse into the inner life of a spiritual giant."
-Eboo Patel, Founder and President of Interfaith Youth Core, author of Acts of Faith and Interfaith Leadership.

“A profound look at Kahlil Gibran’s prophetic voice for peace and reconciliation ... issuing a timeless call to respect all peoples and their religious traditions equally - and thereby serving as an indispensable guide for our times.”
-Ambassador Rabbi David N. Saperstein, former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom

“Chandler blends memoir and biography in this ... exploration of poet Kahlil Gibran’s influences, writings, and impact. [This book] provides a solid introduction to Gibran and his complex work.”
-Publishers Weekly

“Paul-Gordon Chandler brilliantly captures the universal spirituality of the beloved poet Kahlil Gibran ... a revelatory and a true inspiration for those seeking to build bridges, not walls.”
-Imam Mohamad Bashar Arafat, President, Islamic Affairs Council of Maryland and Civilizations Exchange & Cooperation Foundation

Paul-Gordon Chandler, an Episcopal priest, is an interfaith advocate, art curator, and social entrepreneur who has lived and worked in the Middle East and North Africa for many years. An authority on the Middle East and on Christian-Muslim relations, he is the Founding President of CARAVAN, an international peacebuilding non-profit that uses the arts to build bridges between the creeds and cultures of the Middle East and the West. He is also the author of Pilgrims of Christ on the Muslim Road: Exploring a New Path Between Two Faiths and Songs in Waiting. He can be reached at: www.paulgordonchandler.com.

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Fairuz - Give Me The Nay (Flute).

Latest Artlyst interview: Revd Paul-Gordon Chandler

My latest interview for Artlyst is with Revd Paul-Gordon Chandler, CEO and Founder of CARAVAN, whose I AM exhibition ends at St Martin-in-the-Fields today, before moving to Washington, D.C. at the Katzen Arts Center of American University from September 5 – October 22.

In the interview Paul-Gordon says:

'In the midst of the all-too-often widening divides of discord and misapprehension between creeds and cultures, I believe a new movement is needed now more than ever: not of belief, or of cultural or religious unity, but one that creatively builds on what we hold in common. Art allows us to see similarity within difference, offering a mode of reconciliation toward a new vision and experience of coexistence, proactively bringing about a sectarian-free world.

I believe the arts provide new pathways of understanding that transcend borders and differences. CARAVAN’s goal through these “creative demonstrations of dialogue and peacebuilding” is not just more dialogue or greater understanding, but something much deeper, seeing the establishment of intercultural and interreligious friendships.

To us, the aim of art is always higher than art… for it can help us see someone different than ourselves for whom they really are – that they are like us. As Kahlil Gibran, the early 20th-century Lebanese writer, painter, and mystic, and author of The Prophet, so powerfully wrote: “Your neighbour is your other self-dwelling behind a wall. In understanding, all walls shall fall down.”'

My other Artlyst articles are:

• Art Awakening Humanity Alexander de Cadenet Interviewed
• Polish Art In Britain Centenary Marked At London’s Ben Uri Gallery
• Michael Pendry New Installation Lights Up St Martin In The Fields;
• Mark Dean Projects Stations of the Cross Videos On Henry Moore Altar;
• Refugee Artists Learning from The Lives Of Others;
• The Religious Impulses Of Robert Rauschenberg;
• The Christian Science Connection Within The British Modern Art Movement;
• Artists Rebranding The Christmas Tree Tradition;
• Art Impacted - A Radical Response To Radicalisation;
• The Art of St Martin-in-the-Fields; and
• Was Caravaggio A Good Christian?

Paul-Gordon gave the sermon at the 10.00 am service of St Martin-in-the-Fields today focusing on the message of the I AM exhibition and titled "The Boundary-less Way". His latest book In Search of a Propher: A Spiritual Journey with Kahlil Gibran blends memoir and biography in an 'introductory exploration of poet Kahlil Gibran’s influences, writings, and impact.'

In this book Paul-Gordon:

'traces Gibran’s life from his birth in Lebanon in 1883 and his immigration to the United States in 1895 to his return to the Middle East in 1899 and his encounters with leading artistic figures in Europe before his death in 1931. Each chapter centers on a key work of Gibran’s, with ample excerpts to get a sense of his style and messages. This orderly chronology will help readers fill in details and get a better sense of what events shaped Gibran’s work, including personal losses, World War I, and the dislocation of being an immigrant. Those unfamiliar with the poet’s work will gain solid insights into how and why Gibran sought out universal reconciliation of the religious impulses stemming from his Maronite Catholic upbringing, his Arab identity, and his Western education.'

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Lisa Hannigan & Glen Hansard - On Love.

Foyer display: Alice Bree & Zi Ling

St Martin-in-the-Fields is home to several commissions and permanent installations by contemporary artists.

We also have an exciting programme of temporary exhibitions, as well as a group of artists and craftspeople from the St Martin’s community who show artwork and organise art projects on a temporary basis.

One of the initiatives from this group is a changing display of work by the group members. Each month a different member of the group shows an example of their work, so, if you are able, do return to see the changing display.

This month’s artists, Alice Bree and Zi Ling have begun exhibiting together as a result of the artists and craftspeoples group. Both have work at the Mall Galleries from 4 – 9 July, as part of the Society of Women Artists Summer Exhibition 2017.

Also at St Martin's from today is CARAVAN's I AM exhibition:

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Arcade Fire - Signs Of Life.

International exhibitions: Jamaican Spiritual & I AM

St Martin-in-the-Fields and St Stephen Walbrook are both hosting exhibitions by international artists beginning in the coming week.

I AM at St Martin-in-the-Fields (Sunday 2 July – Sunday 20 August) is a peacebuilding art exhibition organised by CARAVAN that showcases the insights and experiences of Middle Eastern women as they confront issues of culture, religion and social reality in a rapidly changing world both in the Middle East and West. Designed to address stereotypes and challenge misconceptions of the ‘other’, the I AM exhibition will be a visual celebration of the crucial role that Middle Eastern women play in the enduring global quest for a more harmonious and peaceful future.

St Stephen Walbrook is hosting an exhibition of Jamaican spiritual art arranged by Art Jamaica (www.art-jamaica.org) from 3 July to 16 July 2017. The exhibition has been curated by Art Jamaica founder Theresa Roberts who has included mainly new work from young Jamaican artists but will also be featuring selected work from her own extensive collection. The Private View will be held on the evening of 3 July but thereafter the exhibition is open to the public. The show is made up of painting,sculpture and photography highlighting the strong spiritual nature of Jamaica and it's people. Whilst predominantly Christian, Jamaica is home to a wide variety of religions which coexist peacefully. The variety of spiritual beliefs held on the island reflect the diverse nature of the people who live there and the motto of the country "Out of many we are one". Whilst spirituality is the overriding theme the exhibition inevitably also offers a compelling insight into the diverse nature and vibrancy of modern Jamaica.

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Bob Marley - One Love.

CARAVAN: I AM at St Martin-in-the-Fields

I AM is a peacebuilding exhibition that premiered in Amman, Jordan under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah involving 31 of the Middle East's premier contemporary women artists that promotes and celebrates the many accomplishments of Middle Eastern women in shaping our world into a peaceful and harmonious one.

I AM will visually celebrate the rich, diverse and crucial contributions that women from the Middle East make to the enduring global quest for harmony and peace. In this way, the exhibition aims to challenge existing stereotypes and misconceptions about Middle Eastern women by showing how they dynamically and very significantly contribute to the fabric of local and global culture. I AM will showcase the insights and experiences of Middle Eastern women as they confront issues of culture, religion and social reality in a rapidly changing world both in the Middle East and West. This exhibition is an acknowledgement of how they continue to creatively evolve new narratives that uphold their rich heritage while embracing a future full of challenges.

I AM premiered at the National Gallery of Fine Arts in Amman, Jordan (3 May - 14 June) and will next be showcased at London's St. Martin in the Fields on Trafalgar Square for the months of July and August (2 July -20 August), followed by touring North America from the fall of 2017 through the end 2018, premiering in Washington, D.C. at the Katzen Arts Center of American University (September 5-October 22).

At each exhibition venue, a variety of events and programs will be planned to stimulate discussion, dialogue and education, promoting further understanding (talks, concerts, literary readings, film screenings, panels, forums, workshops, etc.).

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Alabama Shakes - Don't Wanna Fight.

CARAVAN: I AM

I AM - Celebrating the rich, diverse and pivotal contribution that Middle Eastern women make to the enduring global quest for harmony and peace

As the world’s attention is focused anew on respecting women’s rights, and while there is an increasing need for developing understanding and encouraging friendship between the faiths and peoples of the Middle East and West, CARAVAN prepares to launch I AM, the 2017/2018 CARAVAN Exhibition of Art. Designed to address stereotypes and challenge misconceptions of the "other”, the I AM exhibition will be a visual celebration of the crucial role that Middle Eastern women play as guardians of peace, celebrating their strengths and rich and diverse contributions in the enduring global quest for a more harmonious and peaceful future.


CARAVAN’s I AM exhibition is being guest curated by Janet Rady, a specialist in Middle Eastern contemporary art, and a selection of 31 acclaimed women artists of Middle Eastern heritage from 12 countries have been invited to participate in this unique East-West peacebuilding exhibition. The I AM exhibition will premiere in Amman, Jordan at the National Gallery of Fine Arts in on May 3, 2017, running through June 14. Following Jordan, I AM will be showcased in London, England at St. Martin-in-the-Fields on Trafalgar Square (July 3-August 20, 2017), and then will subsequently tour North America through the end of 2018, premiering September 2017 in Washington, D.C. at the Katzen Arts Center of the American University.

“I AM” as the title implies a representation of an individual's culture and heritage ― showing the uniqueness of the individual, as well as one’s identity within the community and the world. The phrase “I AM” is also significant to the Abrahamic faiths. The words of divine self-identification, “I AM”, are familiar to Christians and Muslims to represent God/Allah, therefore serving as an interreligious bridge. The phrase “I AM” remind us, regardless of creed, of all being equal and one.

An exciting schedule of programs and events will accompany the I AM exhibition at each venue to stimulate discussion, dialogue and education, promoting further understanding.

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The Westies - Say It.

A Common Call for Dependence

The sermon given by Revd Paul-Gordon Chandler last Sunday can be heard on the website for St Martin-in-the-Fields. Paul-Gordon is the Founder and President of CARAVAN Arts, and curated the interfaith exhibition The Bridge which appeared at St Martin’s during June and July.

Titled "A Common Call to Dependence," Paul-Gordon, referring to "THE BRIDGE" art exhibition, encourages listeners to learn from the faith traditions of our Middle Eastern sisters and brothers.

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Sami Yusuf - Supplication.

Paul-Gordon Chandler and The Bridge

Paul-Gordon Chandler will be preaching at St Martin-in-the-Fields tomorrow during the 10.00am Parish Eucharist as The Bridge exhibition comes to a close. 

Paul is an author, interfaith advocate, social entrepreneur and U.S. Episcopal priest who has worked extensively in the Middle East. He is Founder and President of CARAVAN, the international peace-building arts non-profit (NGO) that builds bridges through the arts between the Middle East and West, and has brought The Bridge exhibition to life. Paul has much to share about its inspiration and journey.

The Bridge is a groundbreaking interfaith gathering of premier and emerging artists, focusing on what they hold in common through their Arab, Persian and Jewish cultures, and their Christian, Muslim and Jewish creeds.

Have you come to view the exhibition while it has been at St Martin's? If so, we would love to know what you thought. We have created a short survey which poses questions we hope will help you think about it a little deeper. Take part in the survey here.

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Malek Jandali - Caravan.

Patrick Altes: Frayed Ideologies and Hybridity

‘Frayed Ideologies’ at the Hay Hill Gallery presents the latest paintings by the internationally acclaimed artist Patrick Altes and invites us to consider the struggle to define ourselves, and the process of being human.

The work relates to the melting pots and breaking points of land, conflict, and diaspora. It refers to our living in times of extreme turbulence and instability – both political and environmental - and herald dreams and resurgences from the unconscious linked to the artist's personal vision and perception of the world. The series of large-scale paintings are visually arresting with their powerful monochromatic collages and complex markings. They depict mass movement, the drive and energy of eruption, transition and revolution. These shreds of papers collaged on the canvas are purposely distressed, torn and show marks of the passage of time. They are never-merging and forever juxtaposing; they find their junctions and their specific arrangement to form non-random, synchronistic shapes, patterns, movements and tensions, which echo the inner tensions driving the artistic process. The use of paper is deliberately reminiscent of calligraphy and arabesques. It harks back to a variety of western and eastern influences: Aborigines' myths of origins, Villeglie's torn posters, Japanese action painting, and lyrical abstraction.

Patrick Altes says: "In a world with constant, often rapid and brutal transformation, our identity remains defined by our attachment and sense of belonging to a specific land. Straddling two worlds refers to this delicate and often uneasy balancing act that we experience when living in a culture different from the one we originate and the sense of uneasiness and not anchored that it elicits. This restlessness can be construed as a disadvantage or enjoyed for its liberating aspect. There is a mirror effect between outer fractures in the world and the inner turmoil we are experiencing. Sitting on the fence is no longer an option as moral dilemmas concern us all."

Hybridity by Altes can be seen in The Bridge at St Martin-in-the-Fields. Altes writes of this work: "Whether or not you are a believer, the cultural, social, and political importance of religions is indisputable. They are intertwined in the history of civilization and often the prime source of their evolution. They can act as great dividers or powerful pacifiers. This painting represents the living space of freedom and dynamic harmony religions can create when they bring the best in humanity."

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Duke Special - In A Dive.

The Bridge: Exhibition launch

Last night the official launch and reception for The Bridge, a ground-breaking interfaith exhibition of premier and emerging visual artists, was held at St Martin-in-the-Fields. Speakers included: The Hon Nasser Kamel, Ambassador of Egypt, Revd Canon Paul-Gordon Chandler, Founder & President of CARAVAN, Most Revd Dr Bishop Mouneer Anis, Bishop of Egypt and Primate of Jerusalem and the Middle East, and Most Revd and Rt Hon Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury. The St Martins Voices and Sami Yusuf sang.

The Bridge is an East-West travelling art exhibition organised and curated by CARAVAN, an interreligious and intercultural peacebuilding NGO. It showcases the work of 47 premier contemporary visual artists from 15 countries. Each artist has submitted one original work (created specifically for the exhibition) addressing the theme. The Bridge is an unparalleled gathering of international artists focusing on what they hold in common through their cultures and creeds: Christian, Muslim and Jewish.

The Bridge is at St Martin-in-the-Fields until 31 July.

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Sami Yusuf - The Gift Of Love. 

Crossroads: lives which are not linear

Like many of us at St Martin-in-the-Fields I have enjoyed beginning to peruse and reflect on ‘The Bridge’ exhibition which will be with us until 31st July.

When an exhibition includes lots of works, as does ‘The Bridge’ with 47 pieces, it is easy to be distracted from the piece you are viewing by other works nearby that have not yet been seen. However, art rewards contemplation, so on my first view I thought I would focus on one image rather than the totality of the exhibition.

‘Crossroads’ by Azadeh Ghotbi is an abstract painting in which cubist planes in yellows and greens combine to form the sinuous curves of crossing and connecting paths. Each coloured line, Ghotbi writes, ‘represents a person with a unique story, cultural background, belief system and sensibility.’

The painting derives from her own personal experience as someone who was born a Muslim, attended a Catholic School, married an atheist, and whose bridesmaids were Muslim and Jewish respectively. As a result, the painting depicts the interaction of our lives; lives which, as she says, ‘are not linear’ but which cross, bridge and impact each other.

Various statements have been made in philosophy and art suggesting that God does not move the world in a straight line or build in straight lines. These statements are contentious in terms of the natural world but make absolute sense when applied to building or sustaining community. If we live along straight lines only, we effectively live parallel lives. This may be why I recently heard someone apply this phrase to the curved lines of our EastWindow.

So, while it is here, do have a good look at Azadeh Ghotbi’s ‘Crossroads’ and see what it suggests to you both about the nature of our community here at St Martin’s and the relational God that we worship.

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Mick Jagger featuring Lenny Kravitz - God Gave Me Everything.

The Bridge: an East-West travelling art exhibition

The Bridge is an East-West travelling art exhibition organised and curated by CARAVAN, an inter-religious and intercultural peacebuilding NGO. It showcases the work of 47 premier contemporary visual artists from 15 countries. Each artist has submitted one original work (created specifically for the exhibition) addressing the theme. The Bridge is an unparalleled gathering of international artists focusing on what they hold in common through their cultures and creeds: Christian, Muslim and Jewish.

The Bridge serves as a common starting point on which to build, towards seeing the development of a world that inherently respects and honours cultural and religious diversity, living and working together in harmony.

The exhibition showcases the work of 47 visionary contemporary artists who focus on what they hold in common through their cultures and creeds, illustrating their ideas of how to build bridges between us all. The Bridge will be at St Martin-in-the-Fields from June 1 - July 31.

Find out more about the exhibition - http://www.oncaravan.org/#!2015-about-the-bridge/cl8n.

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Rickie Lee Jones - I Was There.

Responses to modernity and religion

ImageUpdate has information about festival events featuring the cream of Western artists engaged in the interface between art and faith:

Artistic Responses to Modernity: 'On Monday the exhibition opens with paintings inspired by T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets by the artists Bruce Herman & Makoto Fujimura with Rowan Williams as a speaker, Juliet Stevenson as a reader, and cello music by Guy Johnston. Tuesday will feature several piano pieces including Messiaen, Visions de l'Amen for two pianos, and work by Cordelia Williams and Jeremy Begbie. On Wednesday, award-winning poet Micheal O'Siadhail will read from his work in progress, Five Quintets, interwoven with piano music by Jeremy Begbie, played by Cordelia Williams. On Friday, arising out of a collaboration with scholars from Cambridge and Duke University, a newly composed St Luke Passion by James MacMillan will be performed with Choristers of Kings College, conducted by the composer.'

The e-newsletter also has information about an interfaith exhibition featuring art from artists drawn from both the East and the West:

'In the wake of the terrorist tragedy in Paris, France, Caravan, an inter-religious peacemaking arts non-profit will launch its interfaith traveling art exhibition titled The Bridge in Paris at the historic Church of St. Germain des Pres, in the Latin Quarter, the oldest church in Paris. Opening on February 2-28, 2015 to commemorate the United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week, The Bridge is an unparalleled gathering of 47 Arab, Persian and Jewish premier contemporary visual artists of Christian, Muslim and Jewish religious backgrounds focusing on what they hold in common. Organized and curated by Caravan, the multi-religious group of participating artists in The Bridge are making the case for using that which we have in common as the foundation for the future of our world. After The Bridge runs for a month in Paris, it will travel for exhibition within Europe, to Egypt, and then throughout the USA.'

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Olivier Messiaen - Visions de l'Amen.

Beyond 'Airbrushed from Art History' (7)

Magdy William, a student under the late Dr. Isaac Fanous, the founder of the school of modern Coptic painting and the initiator of the modern renaissance in Coptic art, has been one of the world’s premier Coptic icon artists for several decades. In addition to his work beautifying countless churches throughout Egypt and around the world, he has held solo exhibitions in Europe and Australia. His next major European exhibition will be in Norway in 2012 where over three hundred of his icons will be exhibited in three cities simultaneously. His studio is located along the Nile in Maadi at the Coptic Orthodox Church of St. George.

 
His current exhibition, The Eternal Eye, opened today at St John’s Maadi, the international Episcopal Church in southern Cairo founded in 1931. The icons being exhibited range in theme from the Biblical stories in Egypt to Coptic saints. This is an exhibition that reflects the desire to see the establishment of a new Egyptian society, in the wake of the January 25 Revolution, that inherently respects and honours religious diversity. The objective of the exhibition is to encourage a better understanding of Egypt’s indigenous Christian community, the historic Coptic Orthodox Church, which constitutes up to 10% of the population and traces its heritage back to the first century. This significant indigenous Christian presence in Egypt plays a critical role in enabling all faiths to coexist in harmony.

Retablos are votive paintings that give thanks for prayers answered. This tradition came to Mexico five centuries ago with the Catholic Spanish. For two centuries retablos have been painted onto small metal sheets by neighbourhood retableros. Mexican painter Frida Kahlo had an extensive collection of retablos. Artist Alfredo Vilchis Roque picked up on this tradition of telling a simple, dramatic story with a figurative scene and written commentary. He has been painting for 20 years, and his paintings are based on stories that have been told to him.

Alfredo is a lively man, full of himself, and proud of the work he has been doing for the last 23 years, bringing history and people's stories to painted form while keeping the tradition of retablo and ex-Voto making alive. He begins work with a pencil drawing showing the basic layout - simple and not very detailed. From this he paints the final piece in oil on sheet metal called lamina.

Today his sons, Hugo Alfredo, Daniel Alonso, and Luis Angel, are following in his footsteps.They live in a working class barrio of Mexico City, and have learned the trade and tradition from their father. Their paintings have been shown, along with those of their father, in Mexico City, Paris, Miami, Chicago, and Seattle. Their family's art is the subject of two books: Infinite Gracias: Contemporary Mexican Votive Paintings, and Rue des Miracles.


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Omar Khairat - A Place In The Heart.

CARAVAN Festival of the Arts

Following on from the success of the interfaith CARAVAN Festival of the Arts held at the historic St. John’s Church in Maadi/Cairo over the last two years, a new and broader artistic CARAVAN Festival of the Arts 2011 with the theme of “My Neighbor” will open on February 3, 2011. The goal of the CARAVAN Festival of the Arts in February 2011 is to build bridges between East and West, Muslim and Christian, through the visual arts, literature, film and music. The initiative over the last two years has generated significant attention from the international media and art world, surpassing all expectations.

The CARAVAN Festival of the Arts comes out of a vision that the Arts can be one of the most effective mediums to enhance understanding and deepen respect between the Middle East and the West. Therefore the objective of this CARAVAN arts initiative is to use the Arts as a bridge for intercultural (East/West) and inter-religious (Muslim/Christian) interchange. Through this exhibition the goal is to highlight how the Arts can serve to encourage friendship and facilitate sharing between the Arab world and the West.

Opening on February 3, 2011, at 7 PM, the exhibition and festival will be officially opened by the Grand Imam of Al Azhar in Cairo, Sheikh Ahmed el Tayeb. 45 premier Middle Eastern and Western visual artists will come together for the selling exhibition which will be held inside the church, with each submitting one piece of work that reflects the theme, “My Neighbor”. As the previous years have shown, it will be an exhibition that has a diverse range of artists ranging from one of Egypt’s leading contemporary artists, Mohamed Abla, to rising star Reda Abdel Rahman, to expatriate artists Britt Boutros Ghali and Roland Prime to name but a few. Many thousands are expected to attend and there will be considerable Arab and Western media coverage.

Special participating guests to this year’s CARAVAN Festival of the Arts are Reza Aslan, the New York Times bestselling Iranian-American author (No god but God, Beyond Fundamentalism, Tablet & Pen), Khalid Abdalla, British-Egyptian film actor (star of The Kite Runner, United 93, and Green Zone with Matt Damon), and Mohammed Antar, world renowned Ney (Middle Eastern Flute) player.

“Our experience has shown,” says Rev. Canon Paul-Gordon Chandler, author and the American rector/minister of St. John’s Church and founder of the Caravan Festival of the Arts, “that art is a universal language that has the ability to dissolve the petty differences that divide us. The words of Anish Kapoor, the contemporary Indian sculptor illustrate our objective; ‘We live in a fractured world. I've always seen it as my role as an artist to attempt to make wholeness.’”

In looking toward this upcoming February 2011 event, “Our desire through this third exhibition,” says Roland Prime, exhibition curator and a participating British artist, “is that we will see how much we all have in common and how we can enhance and deepen each other’s lives.”

All attendance is free of charge, but 20% of all art sales go to Middle Eastern charities assisting the poor.

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Taram - Mustafa / Moj Dragane.