Throughout western civilisation, Christ has mainly been portrayed in a Caucasian form reflecting the way each generation has expressed its understanding of who Jesus is. The last century has witnessed a rapid change in the make-up of our culture, and the Church is being challenged to address its failure to fully support and encourage the vocation of the BAME community.
Members of ethnic communities across the region have asked how this can be addressed and ‘Global Images of Christ: Challenging Perceptions sought to highlight and promote images of both Jesus, Mary and Holy People that represent and embrace the identity of our multicultural society. The exhibition sought to do that by bringing together more than fifty works of art from both public and private collections, including works that have been commissioned to address the absence of how Christ is seen through the stories and accounts of black and ethnic voices.
Download the exhibition catalogue here.
Two pieces of art from ‘Global Images of Christ’ remain on temporary loan to Chester Cathedral. The Last Seven Words of Christ – Max Kandhola, and The Kiss of Betrayal – Lorna May Wadsworth.
Image shown: ‘A Last Supper’ by Lorna May Wadsworth.
With kind permission of the artist.