St Peter and St Paul's Embrace of Peace mural. Photo: Fr Jason Antiquera SSC
I do not usually enjoy explaining my artwork. I would rather have the artwork itself relate to those gazing on it because words are never enough. In this article, however, I try to share and reflect on the process I went through to arrive at the symbolism of the mural I painted on the doors of the Martyrs Chapel in the Columban Formation House and Lay Mission Centre in Seoul, Korea. The title of the painting is St Peter and St Paul’s Embrace of Peace.
The Process
The idea of a painting on the chapel's double doors came from the Columban Formation House community. The goal was to make the doors, which could have been the entrance to any room, into something that would distinguish them as doors welcoming people into the chapel, the place of prayer. It was a challenge for me in many ways. They are large doors with a metal surface. I needed suitable paint. I needed the skill to execute the painting and, most of all, I needed an appropriate, meaningful theme!
The challenge was overwhelming. However, after some thought, reflection and prayer, I decided that if I saw my art as a ministry and believed that God had given me artistic talents for the church's service and its mission, I had to trust that God’s guidance would be with me.
I had not been given a theme or a subject to paint. It was up to me to decide what would be suitable and what I could successfully portray. Fortunately, the moment I saw the double-door entrance to the chapel, the image of two human figures came to my mind.
This was not so surprising as many of my paintings in the past have been portraits, images of human figures. But then the question was: “Whose figures should they be?” I looked for suggestions and ideas from my fellow Columbans. One of them gave me the encouragement to follow my own heart, which was the advice I followed.
After some reflection, the figures of Saints Peter and Paul came to mind. One might wonder why it was not a St Columban or St Patrick of Ireland or one of the other great missionary saints such as St Francis Xavier. The first Korean priest and martyr, St Andrew Kim Tae Gon, would be another strong candidate. Also, our Columban founders, Bishop Edward Galvin and Fr John Blowick would not be out of place there.
How, then, did these two founders of our church, Sts Peter and Paul, come to the fore? One explanation would be that I always like to have a personal connection or relationship with the subject of my works of art. The feast of Sts Peter and Paul, namely, June 29, was the day of my diaconate ordination in 2014. Perhaps of greater significance is the fact that Rome officially recognised our Mission Society of St Columban on this same feast day in 1918.
My decision to choose these two apostles led to more research that opened my eyes to countless artworks by myriad artists depicting these two great apostolic-missionary figures.
Symbolism
The mural is rich in symbolism by which I tried to convey certain messages and feelings. However, the symbols do not replace the artwork itself or the meanings it may draw out for its viewers. First, St Peter and St Paul’s Embrace of Peace show Peter and Paul greeting each other with a Holy Kiss of Peace, an expression of love and peace in the early Christian communities. It has been interpreted many times and in different ways by various Christian artists. In some of his epistles, the apostle Paul instructed Christians to “Greet each other with the holy kiss of peace” (Romans 16:16). Later, this expression, derived from the Hebrew Shalom Aleichem - May peace be upon you - became the Sign of Peace we share at every Mass today.
Secondly, the colours used in the mural represent the Church’s colours for all the liturgical seasons.They symbolize cultural and religious virtues, such as red for courage and martyrdom, purple for passion and zeal, yellow and orange for warmth and light and green and blue for life, hope and serenity. Thirdly, the faces of Peter and Paul are touching, but their eyes do not meet. This symbolises the relationship between the two apostles. One of them is a fisherman. The other, an educated Roman citizen. In many ways, two very different personalities whose expressions of faith, Gospel and church could differ and be unique, but one in their following of Christ, their teacher and saviour.
Lastly, there is the symbol created by people entering and leaving the chapel through these doors. We usually relate to art by standing in front of it and gazing upon it. However, the St Peter and St Paul Embrace of Peace mural invites us to enter the image itself and join with the tradition of these two missionaries and fathers in the faith. With them, we enter into the space of prayer and worship as fellow missionaries, like them, called by Christ to preach the Gospel to the nations.
Columban Fr Jason Antiquera preparing the chapel doors for painting. Photo: Fr Jason Antiquera SSC
Reflection
I started to paint the mural on July 1, 2020, and completed it seven months later. When I look at it now, I relate to it in new unintended and unexpected ways. I can’t look at it without remembering, aside from some back pain, my various feelings and experiences during the period of its creation. In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, I kept painting, whatever my mood, whether I was sad or happy, anxious or calm, annoyed or pleased, lonely or joyful, bored or excited. I kept painting as I mourned the deaths of three Columban Missionaries who died in Korea that year, Frs Pat Murphy, Kevin O’Rourke and Frank Ferrie. While painting in solitude, I was keenly aware of, and also confronted by, what was happening in our world, in the Society of St Columban, and myself. I believe that all of these events and the emotions they gave rise to are part of this mural and my connection with it.
So I will let this mural or work of art speak for itself to all its viewers, in different ways, at other times. One nun, upon seeing it, said that it looks like a male counterpart of a well-known painting of the visitation of Mary to her cousin, Elizabeth. I remember a professor of art once reminding me that the worst thing you can do to art is to try to explain it. Let the art speak to us the way God speaks to us. Finally, I will leave you with a quote from a Croatian artist: “Art speaks its language, heart to heart, soul to soul”.
Columban Fr Jason Antiquera is assigned to Korea.
Listen to "St Peter and St Paul’s Embrace of Peace"
Related links
- Read more from The Far East - August 2021
