Last week we launched our first Hub in London, joined by around thirty artists from across the city in an eclectic mix of people, disciplines and experience. What brought us all together was the shared desire to be part of a community of creatives who believe in God and are striving for excellence in our work.
I was struck by the paintings of Jennifer Litts, specifically her piece ‘Release’ – a visceral expression of deliverance. Not only because of the bold use of a bloody red biro, but because of the expression of sincere pain and exertion that she managed to portray.
This piece was reflective of her process in navigating the creation of art alongside her faith, and I think it expresses a sentiment that all Christian artists can resonate with. The deep desire to create work that can hold together multiple facets of our identity is an act of deliverance that we grapple with daily as we turn up to the page/ canvas/ screen etc.
As we spent some time pondering the question ‘what should Christian artists be like?’ an answer was provided in the most unlikely of places, specifically the youngest member of our audience (at 12 years old) who said: ‘Well surely we must be kind, thoughtful and hardworking?’ I think this message could be taken as the key take-home point from the day. It helps us all consider how we want to navigate the creation of our art in the world, not only in the final products we create, but in the relationships we build along the way.
Jess Wood is a northern-born, Birmingham-based poet and intern with Sputnik (from September 2018)
