Wilton artist Brian Whelan will be showing his series of imagined Holy City paintings in the exhibition, “Holy City — A Spiritual Pilgrimage,” at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace in Hartford.
The reception is Sunday, Oct. 15 from 7-8:30 p.m., where Whelan will speak about his vision of unity among the three Abrahamic faiths. This interfaith exhibition is organized by the MacDonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, and co-sponsoring partners include the Mandell Jewish Community Center and John P. Webster Library at First Church, West Hartford.
“Although I have been to many holy cities around the world, these paintings do not depict any holy city that exists in today’s world,” Whelan said of his work. “This is my aspirational vision of what a holy city looks like. Each of the canvases contains churches, mosques, and synagogues, painted in bright, playful and colorful forms. An abstracted, disarming vision of cultural unity; living together in peace, acceptance, and harmony; a haven for the soul.”
Whelan’s large nine-foot by 12-foot polyptych will be front and center at this exhibition, which closes Nov. 22.