Chester Cathedral is showing a groundbreaking exhibition that consists of over 50 paintings, African and Chinese sculptures, and orthodox icons that challenge Western representations of Jesus and his followers.
An exhibition called Global Images of Christ: Challenging Perceptions opened at Chester Cathedral on Saturday 25 September and will run until 30 October.
The works, which include contributions from artists such as Mark Cazalet, Peter Eugene Ball, and Lorna May Wadsworth have been collected from churches across the UK by Chester Cathedral’s Canon Precentor, Jeremy Dussek and curated by the Art and Design Department of the University of Chester.
The exhibition is centred on Lorna May Wadsworth’s depiction of the Last Supper, the final meal that Jesus shared with his apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. Wadsworth portrays Jesus as a black man and used Jamaican-born fashion model Tafari Hinds as a model for the representation. Her composition is based on a 15th-century mural painting by Leonardo da Vinci.
Also on display is Meg Roe’s reimagining of Audrey Rublev’s Trinity icon. As part of her demonstration of community solidarity and sensitivity for all those displaced and abused, she uses the Russian artist’s famous composition. Southwark Cathedral owns it and it is an important part of its collection.
The Revd Canon Lameck Mutete, Chair of the diocesan Race and Ethnicity Forum says:
“It is our hope that the Global Images of Christ exhibition will not only be an opportunity for us to listen, learn and be transformed but bring all God’s people to an understanding that the God we worship is neither black nor white but a God of all people.” Dean of Chester, the Very Revd Dr Tim Stratford says: “We are very familiar with pictures of Jesus Christ cast in our western European image. This exhibition helps us see him through the eyes of other cultures enlarging our understanding of God.” The Archdeacon of Macclesfield, and Chair of the Committee of Outreach, Ian Bishop says: “This is an exhibition that will challenge your perception of who Jesus is and how he is perceived across the world. I hope that you will come to what will be a very special exhibition.”
The exhibition is a collaborative effort between Chester Cathedral, the University of Chester, and the Diocese of Chester, and represents a desire among all parties to promote equality and diversity.
Global Images of Christ: Challenging Perceptions is open Monday – Saturday 10 am – 6 pm, Sunday 12 Noon – 5 pm to Saturday 30 October at Chester Cathedral. Entry is free and donations are welcome.
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