Overwhelmed by Peace, 2023

oil on canvas, 30’’x40’’

Choosing religion as topic for this work was something I was hesitant about, because even though it is something I am passionate about, it is also something that often gets a really negative connotation. I feel like in this day and age there feels to be a growing number of people who have been harmed by organized religion. I experienced a little bit of this myself as I grew up in the Catholic Church. When I thought about God and salvation, all I could think about was ceremonies and working for God. This confused me and did not bring me any joy, I did not know why people wanted to be a part of this. When I got into high school someone explained to me who Jesus was and that religion was more about faith and a relationship rather than working and ceremonies.

Typically when people my age think about religion they think about street preachers and donation boxes, using God as a motivation for their own gain or agendas. Typically this leads to a false idea of God and what he thinks of us. Knowing God isn’t about feeling guilty for everything you have ever done, or being told you are going to hell, it is about love and transformation of your heart to love. For this work I want to express to society the feelings of religion rather than the rituals of it. 

Taking inspiration from a photography work I did a while ago I plan to depict the feeling of religion without using any obvious religion symbols. I aim to break down people's perception of religion with a painting that depicts my own relationship with the Lord and how I came to it. The most fulfilling thing to a person is knowing their purpose, also something I feel like I have found through religion. I hope to be able to show people this feeling through my work.