by THEA ANDREA C. MAGUERIANO
EVERY Holy Week, Christians commemorate the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Devouts also spend these holy times reflecting on His life, sacrifices, and miracles.
During this season, passion is often shown through creative ways such as passion plays or senakulo. To interpret faith through displays and artworks, Art Show Philippines made preparations for artists to show their perception of Christ in an online exhibit titled “HESUKRISTO: Filipino Artists’ Interpretation of Jesus Christ”.
Last March 26, Art Show Philippines displayed a series of artworks through Facebook, creating a platform to show and sell them.
In time for Holy Week, 128 artists showcased non-conventional images of the Lord, from the perspective of the youth today.
“Soul, not the gender” by Kim Roy
Through acrylics, Roy emphasized the rainbow-colored blindfold, which contrasts with the monochromatic painting of Christ. This makes it easily recognizable to the viewers since it carries an important symbol in society.
The debates concerning Christ and the LGBTQ+ group’s rights might be divisive and controversial, but Roy portrayed this in an approachable way. He portrayed Jesus as someone who connects with everyone, no matter who they love.
Diverging from the critics of the LGBTQ+ community, Roy also shows that Jesus is forgiving and accepting, that He does not look within one’s gender but at one’s character and soul.
“King of Kings” by Levee
Levee depicted Christ as someone who is called ‘the king’ not only in heaven but also on Earth. His authority is not just felt through the gates of the skies, but also within the soil of our world.
He is called the King of kings as He governs over all. Similarly, lions are called kings of the jungle and are at the top of the food cycle. Although both are powerful, they exercise their power and wisdom differently. Jesus connects with people’s hearts, while lions lead through courage and strength.
Matching the colors of Jesus’ skin and the lion’s fur, Levee balanced out the focus on both Christ and the lion. With the glowing shade of blue behind Christ, one would notice Him first before the accompanying lion.
“Jesus the Fish Vendor” by Bong Legaspi
Bong Legaspi illustrated Christ in a fun and friendly manner. His piece shows how if Christ was a fish vendor today, He might be using the same quirky language we speak. He might even do the same poses to engage with us.
Legaspi presented Christ with fish, for He yearns His disciples to become fishers of men –– to grow and protect the Kingdom of God. Jesus strikes a peace sign that is commonly used by today’s youth, giving Him a warm and welcoming personality.
The peace sign also comforts viewers in these challenging times as Christ assures us that He would provide us the peace we need.
With clean strokes of watercolor and a calming color palette, Legaspi was able to make Christ seem joyful without exaggerating the use of bright colors. The cool tone of the background helped Christ’s bright and smiling face stand out.
Typically, when asked “Who is God for you?” one might answer a father, a leader, a brother, or the Creator. In this gallery, God was presented in many different perspectives that may help those who are unfamiliar with Him find a kind of connection with Him.
Art Show Philippines was a creative outlet in expressing who Christ is for these artists. Painting Christ for how we perceive Him is not only a healing activity this Holy Week, but also helps us to reconnect and reflect. F
Hesu ist altdeutsch und bedeutet “heiße” genau : i hesu = ich heiße
Man fragte ihn: “Wer bist du/wie heißt du?” Und er antwortete: ” i hesu Kristo”
Das ist die Wahrheit, ihr lieben Menschen.”