art space

ART WEEKS 2024

2024 ART WEEKS | Community Arts shaping our worship

2023 | NATIVITY MURAL | by Martin Beek

During Spring 2022, we explored scriptures where hands are used in different ways. We looked into Jesus' hands first, and gradually shifted focus to our own hands towards Pentecost. Jane Lees painted hands along the way and Siegi Dethune gathered these visual reflections into one overarching image.

ART WORKSHOPS AT ST LUKE'S

Since the reopening in 2014, the vision grew to welcome neighbours and art lovers alike to explore together the rich language of creativity and the arts. We launched our first series of workshops 'Articles', run by Sonia Boue, a local artist. Since then we hosted about 12 series of art workshops, covering a broad range of disciplines: mosaics, poetry, mask-making, objects, pottery, ceramics, origami, textile printing, painting, ...

2018 | community art mosaic through workshops 'Broken News', with Jo Acty

2015 | detail from our community art project Colour Ways

EXPERIENCE CLAY

2014 | The Oxford Temma | Tim Lowly with students from North Park University, Chicago, and people from St Luke's Church

Andrew Hazelden

DANIEL BALANESCU
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE 2021-2022

Daniel describes himself as a 'social artist' and is long term friend of St Luke’s. Over the years he ran quite a few workshops, covering different areas of techniques.

He studied textile design at National University of Arts Bucharest.

Most of his works are inspired by the turmoil of our times. He has used different techniques and materials to bring his ideas to life; silkscreen print-serigraph, fibre art design. He experiments with fabric, threads, stitch, paint, text, wax and unusual mixed media material. Since 1995, he's been working with tickets from public transport.

Daniel Balanescu

2022 Puzzled | Daniel Balanescu | overview exhibition |

THE WHOLY FAMILY

2014 | THE WHOLY FAMILY

This photographic project was based on the idea of the Holy Family in the nativity story. Joseph, Mary and Jesus, were themselves refugees, and in exile following the flight from Herod.

We asked parents, grandparents, godparents and carers if they would like to be photographed with their children/grandchildren, using the photographic skills of Paul Medley.

Common to every portrait is a blue scarf, made by Daniel Balanescu, which the subjects used in the sitting as they wished. The scarf is used to unite all the portraits, the idea being that through the Holy Family and the nativity of Jesus, we find our commonality, we all become ‘Wholly Family’.

OXFORD TEMMA

You cannot see me,
But you know I am there
And sometimes you know that I know.

Though you cannot see me,
It is all love, this… anyway ...

I am patient, a flower
And you are my petals.

The love you draw bathes me
And brightens you at the same time ...

from a poem for Temma by Robert Lipscombe

Andrew Hazelden led a series of pottery workshops where there was an opportunity to make both individual pieces and a joint project, plus a chance for anyone who wished to try their hand throwing a pot. The joint project was to help decorate the lid for a font that St Luke's commissioned in memory of a former member of the church, Ted Harris. Workshop participants made fish to adorn the lid of the font.

Tim Lowly, a Chicago based artist brought over a suitcase with nine types of wood that would be used as a base for this collaborative painting. All pieces were assembled at St Luke's.

This portrait of Tim Lowly's profoundly disabled daughter Temma, also reflects St Luke’s commitment to value the vulnerable in society, and to give them centre stage in the life of the church.

2014 | ST LUKE'S ICON JANE LEES

Inspired by the icon of St Luke painting the Madonna and child. The idea was to recreate this image with contemporary people from St Luke's playing the different roles in the icon.

The painting celebrates the creativity of St Luke’s Church, recognising that St Luke is the patron saint of artists, and also emphasises the central role of the vulnerable at the heart of our church, as portrayed throughout Luke’s gospel.

Following the visit of Tim Lowly and his art students from Chicago, Tim takes the part of St Luke, and his daughter Temma, whom he is painting, the Madonna figure. Also portraying the Madonna and child are Jemimah and Lily-Mae Pearce, and Rochelle Jack becomes the angel guiding the hand of St Luke.

STREAMS OF LIVING WATER

whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

in February 2013, we worshipped one last time in our old building, before joining the Salvation Army in their worship. The theme of this final celebration at St Luke's was "Streams of Living waters", and this has remained one of our core themes as we are located in Oxford's flood plane, very close to the Thames. Martin Beek painted the river, flowing from the tree of life. We stayed 'in exile' for more than a year, until the works at our building were finished.