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| Christ in the Oaks by Auseklis Ozols |
On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Inauguration Day, let us remember that Christ is our Prince of Peace, and His disciples must pursue His peace wherever it is not found.
"Christ in the Oaks" was painted by Armenian artist Auseklis Ozols, founder of the New Orleans Academy of Fine Art. The mural is in St. Rose de Lima Church in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. The church was founded in 1926 as an African-American Roman Catholic church. Today, it is a racially mixed parish, heavily influenced by the African-American culture, and is known for its full gospel choir which performs annually at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
Thanks for sharing! I've never seen this one before, and I like it a lot. I found a small write-up about it in a book called "Mississippi Back Roads" (pp. 18-19). It says that the African kente cloth Jesus is wearing--which I believe refers to that colorful patterned portion attached at the bottom--indicates his royal lineage. It also says that the members of the church congregation inscribed their names in the tree. That's neat how the artist made them a part of the creation process in this small way. (I assume that this was done at the artist's initiative or at least with his consent, but I may be wrong.)
ReplyDeleteYes, the inscriptions of the names were part of the comission. It brings the power of the resurrected Jesus "down to home." Not just any oaks, but the oaks of the swamps in Mississippi, where so many black bodies will most likely never be found, or brought home
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