Engelbert Mveng: Ugandan Martyrs Altar @ ArtWay

Please Note: All posts on this blog are intended for informational purposes only, not as an evaluation or endorsement of any artist, art form, organization or website.  If you have concerns about the accuracy of any information presented please contact the author at hmsarthistorian@gmail.com.

Check out the most recent post at ArtWay featuring Cameroonian artist/theologian Engelbert Mveng, and two of his large-scale murals.  For more on Mveng and his art, check out my 2012 post here.

Engelbert Mveng: Ugandan Martyrs Altar, Libermann College, Douala, Cameroon.

Engelbert Mveng: Resurrection, Hekima College, Nairobi, Kenya, 1962.

Gislebertus: The Dream of the Three Kings

An Angel Appears to the Three Kings in a Dream by Gislebertus,
1125-1135, Cathedral Saint-Lazare, Autun, France

The image above is the subject of ArtWay's Visual Meditation for today, called "God’s Guidance," by Richard Harries.  The image is that of a Romanesque column capital carved by an artist named Gislebertus, and the text of the meditation comes from Harries' book, A Gallery of Reflections: The Nativity of Christ.  I've posted the link on the blog today because the Romanesque style is an amalgam of ancient Roman, Celtic and Byzantine art styles, of which Celtic (or Insular) and Byzantine art were highly symbolic in form, much like nonwestern art.  Enjoy!

Sadao Watanabe: Boat in the Storm

Christ in Boat with Disciples by Sadao Watanabe, 1981.

Here's a wonderful image by Sadao Watanabe over at Artway, with an accompanying visual meditation by Sandra Bowden.  Not only is this a beautiful work of art by the Japanese artist, but it's also part of an upcoming traveling exhibition and exhibition catalog by CIVA (Christians in the Visual Arts).  And, for me, the last paragraph of the meditation is a wonderful reminder that Christ is always with us, no matter the storm we're facing, even if we can't hear his voice at that moment.

Church and Art - Word and Image Bible Studies

I encourage you to check out this bible study based on Matthew 2:13-23 and The Flight to Egypt by Chinese Christian painter He Qi [pronounced Huh Chee].  It's found at Artway.eu, a Christian website that "seeks to open up the world of the visual arts to the interested lay man and woman."  The website is chock full of information about artists, galleries, churches, art, etc. (primarily European), so please take a look.

The He Qi study is a part of their series called "Church and Art - Word and Image Bible Studies," and the goal of this individual study is "to find a new way into the biblical text by means of He Qi’s work... He Qi’s painting can help us explore the text, find new significance and make connections between this - seemingly insignificant - story and the larger narrative of God."  The study was written by Cisca Ireland-Verwoerd, a lecturer and writer based in Boston.

The study does a nice job of examining the painting itself, by exploring some of its visual elements.  I wouldn't call it an in-depth study, but I think that it could be an interesting addition to a deeper examination of the passage.  In any case, it's a good use of visual art to enhance a textual study and inject greater interest in the subject matter by associating a visual image with the passage.

Be sure to sign up for Artway's free weekly Visual Meditation email here.