Saints Re-Formed (Current Project)

For over 1,500 years, depictions of Christian saints have dominated the visual landscape of Western art history. Legendary accounts of their lives have captivated the imagination of adherents all over the world—their stories generating cycles of endless veneration. Historically, saints are identified by unique, symbolic objects intended to remind viewers of faithful acts from their life or martyrdom. But what is the contemporary viewer’s relationship to this visual heritage? And to what extent do their symbols still speak today?

Saints Re-Formed consists of twelve oil paintings and a video projection which were completed over the course of a year. Through odd juxtapositions, the paintings are infused with absurd, poetic elements—often contradictory—allowing viewers to puzzle at the content individually. By masking visual elements of the saint’s tradition in modern veils, Saints Re-Formed highlights humanity’s ongoing existential quest for hope, meaning, trust, and belief.