Over the years I’ve really enjoyed discovering iconography and ancient artwork of faith. I don’t claim to be an expert and I don’t mean any disrespect by my artistic expression.
For this illustration I wanted to take various aspects of Christian iconography and blend them with Hebrew tradition and language. My hope is that my expression would honour the traditions that inspire it and help us see in new ways.
Instead of the usual Greek characters and abbreviations for Jesus Christ or I AM, I chose to use the Hebrew word Shalom (split in half here from right to left). The English language knows shalom to mean peace, but the Hebrew word understands it as something so much more — “wholeness”, “completeness”, “to make good,” “full restitution,” “restore,” “be in good health,” and “well-being”.
I also included the Hebrew letter dalet in Christ's halo. This letter carries a lot of meaning. The shape of it represents a person bent over, crouching low to move through a door. It symbolizes humility, a doorway, and access to the Divine.
The dove, pictured carrying an olive branch, symbolises the provision of shalom
through the presence of the Holy Spirit. The color of the dove and Christ’s halo are the same, representing oneness. All through this series this mystical jade blue colour represents the Spirit of God.
Instead of portraying Jesus with what has sometimes seemed to me a sad and vacant gaze, I drew him quiet and contemplative. Instead of his hands in a blessing pose, I have them holding the fringes of his prayer shawl, feeling the knots that represent the law or teachings as he meditates on it. I was aiming to present Jesus in a style we may not be familiar with here in the West where we're used to seeing a white Jesus with orthodox symbolism.
The scene is inspired by the icon of Elijah where God feeds him with ravens, a picture of God’s notice and care in the midst of wilderness but it also pulls in symbolism from Psalm 1.
- Created for JoyOver spiritual formation app. 2023.
