Cloud of Witnesses: Interfaith art exhibition showcases artists exploring collective witness
Cloud of Witnesses is an exhibition taking place during March and April in central London, showcasing a unique set of artists who have come together to explore faith and divinity. This thought-provoking exhibition encourages visitors to think differently about how faith and divinity have been traditionally portrayed.
Working ecumenically and across different faiths, St John’s Waterloo and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, advised by Art+Christianity, have come together to raise awareness, understanding and mutual respect of our collective witness in the UK through a diverse display of artworks. The aim is to create a richer dialogue about how we see and understand faith, divinity and the value of creativity, drawing inspiration from different faiths, cultures and experiences.
The artworks are either representative of or alluding to persons or deities from any religion and from any era. Submitted by the artists via an open call in Autumn 2024, these works were selected by a panel of five judges who based their decision on the integrity of the exhibition theme, the innovation of style and technique, as well as the creative skill in responding to an interfaith and/or racial justice narrative.
Euchar Gravina, Artistic Director of St John’s Waterloo, adds:
“As we mark St John’s Waterloo’s 200th anniversary, our focus is not only on celebrating the building itself but also the rich diversity of our congregation and the multifaith community that surrounds us. Rebuilt in 1951 as the Festival of Britain’s Exhibition Church, we are committed to opening further our creative spaces to honour and engage with this vibrant community.”
The artworks on display are two-dimensional pieces. The judges also awarded three small cash prizes to three artists on Tuesday, 4 March 2025.
4 March – 27 April 2025
The Old Crypt, St John’s Waterloo, Waterloo Road, London. SE1 8TY
For more information about the exhibition, visit St John’s website.
Judges
The Right Revd Peter M Brignall, chair, the Bishop of Wrexham and recent contributor to BBC 2’s ‘Pilgrimage Series’.
Monica Bohm-Duchen, art historian, curator, lecturer, writer, and Founding Director of ‘Insiders/Outsiders: Refugees from Nazi Europe and their Contribution to British Culture’.
Graeme Mortimer Evelyn, an internationally renowned multi-media artist, musician, and curator whose work in civic and sacred spaces interrogates traditional narratives within heritage sites, commenting on cultural identity, politics, and language.
Alexis Stones, lecturer, researcher and subject lead for PGCE Religious Education at UCL; museum educator for young people and teachers at the National Gallery and the Wallace Collection.
Hassan Vawda, an AHRC Doctoral Researcher at Tate Modern and Goldsmiths, University of London. His research focuses on the framing of Islam and Muslims in British Modern and Contemporary art museums.
