News - July 2007.
"Christ Amongst Us: Love Made Visible". Central London exhibition of new pictures by Elizabeth Wang
An exhibition of new pictures by Catholic artist Elizabeth Wang will be on display in London at the French Church, Leicester Square, from 1 July – 19 Sept 2007. "Christ Amongst Us: Love Made Visible" features eighteen large-scale prints of recent paintings, together with meditations written by the artist. The pictures should inspire those searching for a deeper faith, and encourage those who have none. They illustrate well-known Christian themes in striking contemporary imagery. The themes include: The holiness of God, the power of the Eucharist, the merciful love of Christ, Christian prayer, the journey of faith, living with suffering, and the role of the angels and saints.
There is much discussion in the church today about how Christian faith can be communicated to people in a secular world. This contemporary artwork is like a window through which people can appreciate the beauty and power of the Christian faith. Mgr. Keith Barltrop, Director of CASE (the Catholic Agency to Support Evangelisation), has written that Elizabeth Wang's art "continues the great tradition of the Church from earliest days in using contemporary art to instruct us about God's truth and attract us to his beauty, leading us on to heartfelt adoration and to awareness of his being with us and all people from moment to moment." And Fr Aidan Nichols, the well-known Dominican author, has written: "I have been very impressed by the way Elizabeth Wang seeks to expand people's sense of the mystery of the Eucharist in all its dimensions".
On Saturday 15 September 2007, from 2pm to 3:30pm, in the French Church, there will be a time of prayer and reflection on the themes of the exhibition. This time will include talks about Christ and the spiritual life by the artist Elizabeth Wang and by Canon Digby Samuels. All are welcome, no tickets are required.
Elizabeth Wang, 64, has exhibited at the Royal Academy, and the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours. She has had solo exhibitions of religious work at Westminster Cathedral, the Bar Convent Museum (York), and at various schools and parishes throughout the country. Elizabeth is a convert to Catholicism and is the founder of Radiant Light, a small movement in the Catholic Church which aims to "encourage people to grow in holiness by believing and living the Catholic faith in its fullness". Her artwork has been used recently by the Diocese of Leeds in their renewal programme, by the Apostleship of the Sea in their international outreach, and by the Catholic Agency to Support Evangelisation (CASE).
The Radiant Light Online Art Gallery displays over 300 of Elizabeth's pictures in 20 art exhibitions and has received many visitors since its launch two years ago. It can be visited at www.radiantlight.org.uk Elizabeth's art seems to transcend barriers of language or culture, and hits have come from countries such as Australia, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, Nigeria, Poland and Russia. A new feature on the Online Gallery is the ability to download and print high quality images of many of the pictures, without charge, so that they can be used in teaching or catechesis or private prayer. The London exhibition will give visitors a chance to see much larger versions of some of the pictures.
INFORMATION: 'Christ Amongst Us: Love Made Visible'. An exhibition of new pictures by Elizabeth Wang. 1 July – 19 Sept 2007. At the French Church, 5 Leicester Place, Leicester Sq, London WC2H 7BX, UK, just off Leicester Square, between Haagen Dazs and Starbucks, 3 minutes walk from Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Sq stations. The church is near the Prince Charles Cinema. (For MAP click here). Entrance free. Church open daily 9:30am-7:30pm. Exhibition closed during services. Visitors are welcome to attend Mass, which is celebrated in English (Mon-Fri, 12:15pm and 6pm), and in French (Sat 6pm, Sun 11:30am).Sat 15 Sept 2007: A time of prayer and reflection, 2pm – 3:30pm, in the French church, with talks by Elizabeth Wang and Canon Digby Samuels. www.radiantlight.org.uk.
FREE DOWNLOADS available in new online exhibition.
The pictures which are displayed in the London summer exhibition 'Christ amongst us: Love made visible' are also being shown online, and are available as free downloads for certain uses. Click here to see this exhibition.