Contemporary Art in Catholic churches

Depending on who you ask, contemporary art is variously defined as ‘the art of today’, ‘art produced by living artists’ or ‘art produced by those who are living / have died fairly recently’. It can take a number of forms, including photography, sculptures, moving images, paintings or various combinations of these.

Within the Catholic context in Britain, we find a range of forms – including stained glass, paintings, sculpture and contemporary iconography – well-represented. Members of the Society of Catholic Artists have been particularly active in creating church art, such as the neo-iconic painter Peter Koenig, the stained glass artist Sophie D’Souza and the gospel painter, John Armstrong.

Sacred Sculpture in Catholic spaces

Sculptures and statues are common fixtures in Catholic churches. Some notable examples of contemporary artists who have created sculptures include:

• Sean Crampton (1918-1999) was a member of the Royal Society of British Sculptors for 40 years, including five years as President. He made a unique set of bronze Stations of the Cross for St Edmund’s (Calne).
• Faith Tolkien (1928-2017) was the daughter of the famous author, J.R.R. Tolkien. She studied at the Oxford Art School and became a sculptor. Examples of her work can be found in Corpus Christi (Headington), the Catholic Chaplaincy of The University of Birmingham and Sacred Heart (Sutton Coldfield).
• Sean Rice (1931-1997) was an artist from Liverpool who sculpted in bronze. He created both the Stations of the Cross and a sculpture of Abraham (1991) for the Cathedral of Christ the King (Liverpool). 
• Recently, churches have also turned to the woodworking studios of Ortisei in Northern Italy, such as Demetz and Ferdinand Stuflesser, to supply them with suitable art. Examples include St Aloysius (Somers Town), St Mary Magdalene (Bexhill) and the Catholic Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.

Here are some examples of contemporary sculptures within UK Catholic churches:

1. The Suffering Servant (Demetz Art Studio: St Aloysius’, Somers Town: 1990)
2. Abraham sacrifices Isaac (Sean Rice: Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Liverpool: 1991)
3. The Deposition of Christ (Ken Thompson: Our Most Holy Redeemer and St Thomas More, 2000)
4. The Multiplication of the Loaves (Balavendra Elias: St George’s, Hangleton)
5. Christ meets his mother (Chapel of Reconciliation, Catholic Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham)

Let there be light: contemporary stained glass

Over the past forty years, two stained glass studios have been particularly active within the Catholic context – Goddard & Gibbs and the Joseph Nuttgens studio. Artists from these firms have taken traditional scenes and given them a contemporary twist to create eye-catching windows.

• Goddard & Gibbs (1938+) was formed in 1938 from several existing stained glass studios. From 1970, its chief artist was the internationally renowned John Lawson (1932-2009). The firm has made windows for Catholic churches such as St Aloysius (Somers Town), Holy Ghost (Balham) and St Thomas More (Barking).
• The Joseph Nuttgens Studio (1982+) continued the work of Joseph E. Nuttgens, following his death that year. It’s now run by his son Joseph A. Nuttgens; the studio has created stained glass for Catholic churches such as St Mary’s Cathedral (Newcastle), St Teresa of the Child Jesus (Princes Risborough) and Holy Redeemer (Wexham).
• In addition, many other contemporary artists and smaller workshops have undertaken commissions for Catholic churches in Britain. Individual artists include Jude Tarrant, Aidan Thomson and Paul Quail, while contemporary studios include Pendle Stained Glass and Murphy Devitt.

Here are some examples of contemporary stained glass windows within Catholic churches across the UK:

1. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (John Lawson of Goddard & Gibbs: St Aloysius’, Somers Town, 1992)
2. The Risen Christ (John Lawson of Goddard & Gibbs: St Aloysius’, Somers Town, 1992)
3. The Song of Creation (Joseph Nuttgens Studio, St Teresa of the Child Jesus, 2000)
4. Christ meets the woman at the well (Joseph Nuttgens Studio: St Teresa of the Child Jesus, 2000)
5. Moses at the Burning Bush (Stephen Tsang: St Thomas More, London, 2017)

Biblical brush-strokes: contemporary paintings in Catholic spaces

In an innovative move, several Catholic churches in Britain have also become centres of contemporary art – with a focus on paintings in particular. For example, at St George’s, Hangleton, you can find a whole collection of biblical paintings by the artist John Armstrong, along with woodcarvings by Balavendra Elias.

At St Patrick’s, Redfield, the church is full of contemporary artwork, including sizeable paintings of gospel scenes by a Filipino portrait painter, Ramon Gaston. And at the Jesuit Farm Street church in London, there are various contemporary pieces, including a bronze sculpture of a Homeless Jesus by Timothy Schmalz and a life-size painting of the Last Supper, which is the masterpiece of their artist in residence, Andrew White.

Examples of contemporary paintings within Catholic settings include:

1. The Creation of the World (Gary Bevans: English Martyrs, Worthing, 1987-1993)
2. The Wedding at Cana (Ramon Gaston: St Patrick’s, Redfield)
3. The Healing of the Paralysed Man (John Armstrong: St George’s, Hangleton)
4. The Healing of Bartimaeus (John Armstrong: St George’s, Hangleton)
5. The Flight into Egypt (Timur D’Vatz: Notre Dame de France, London, 2015)

Windows into heaven: contemporary iconography

Russian and Byzantine icons, as striking and stylised paintings, have a long history in Christian art. Icons picture scenes from the life of Christ, the saints, and other important figures from Scripture. They are revered as sacred objects that function as ‘windows into heaven’.

While icons are more closely associated with the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic traditions, they also find a place within the Latin Rite as well. Famous and cherished icons in the West include the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the San Damiano Cross of St Francis and the Black Madonna of Czestochowa.

Since the emergence of the Byzantine Revival, Catholics have shown a greater interest in this type of art. Contemporary iconography in the Catholic context combines the rich tradition of Russian and Byzantine imagery with modern art techniques to create unique forms of religious expression. As such, contemporary icons represent a conversation between the past and the present.

Recent works that have been produced for Catholic churches incorporate elements of traditional iconography, while also embracing up-to-date techniques and styles. For example, in their interpretation of traditional scenes, contemporary icons may incorporate more vivid colours, abstract forms or details from the present day.

Contemporary iconographers

• Peter Koenig (1939+) is a prolific Catholic artist who has produced many works of art in a neo-iconic style (full list here), including paintings for Our Lady, Queen of Peace (Burnham), St Edward’s (Kettering) and St Bede’s (Newport Pagnell).
• Stephen Foster (1952-2019) was a Catholic artist who produced many modern icons. Foster created and painted wooden reliefs, mostly Crucifixion scenes, for Catholic churches across the country. Examples include Sacred Heart and St Joseph (Ware), St Bernardine of Siena (Buckingham) and the Cathedral of St Mary and St Thomas (Northampton). You can see some examples here.
• Tessa Hunkin (1954+) is an artist who has either created or designed contemporary mosaics for Westminster Cathedral (London), St Augustine (Barkingside), Our Lady & St Joseph (Kingsland) and Our Lady of the Angels (East Leake). She also created the Hackney Mosaic Project, which helps people with mental health issues to recover by making mosaics.
• Aidan Hart (1957+) is a professional iconographer and teacher from the Greek Orthodox tradition. He has created a variety of frescoes, sculptures and mosaic icons for many Christian churches. Catholic spaces in the UK that feature his work include the Catholic chaplaincy at Lancaster University, Our Lady of Lourdes and St Urban’s (Leeds) and St Edward’s (Lees). You can see examples of his work here.
• Martin Earle (1984+) is a contemporary Catholic artist specialising in icon painting, mosaics, and carved works in wood and stone. His icons can be found in churches including St Francis’ (Baddesley Clinton), St Joseph’s (Lancaster) and St Mary of the Assumption Cathedral (Aberdeen). You can find more about his work here.

Examples of innovative icons

In the past few decades, various artists have created contemporary icons for Catholic churches across the country in the form of murals, mosaics, paintings and reliefs. Examples include:

1. The Call of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist (Alexander Sidorov: The Immaculate Conception, Hertford, 1996)
2. The Holy Family (Christopher Hobbs: Westminster Cathedral, London, 2003) 
3. The Madonna and Child (Vatican Mosaic Studio: St Mary’s College, Oscott, 2010) 
4. The Ascension (Maurizia Lees: Our Lady of the Rosary, Brixton, 2010)
5. The Crucifixion (Stephen Foster: Our Lady of Victories, Kensington, c. 2015) 
6. Jonah and the Whale (Tessa Hunkin: Our Lady and St Joseph, Kingsland, 2017)
7. The Hospitality of Abraham (Sister Petra Clare: Our Lady of Lourdes, Wanstead) 
8. The Presentation of Christ (Peter Koenig: Our Lady of Peace, Burnham) 
9. Christ Almighty (Tessa Hunkin: St Augustine’s, Barkingside)  
10. The Institution of the Eucharist (Dimitri Pascari: St Patrick’s, Bristol) 

The altar woodcarving featured at the start of this article was created by the Indian artist Balavendra Elias, and is found within the church of St George, in Hangleton.