About
A culture becomes what it worships. We act as we see. For theocentric cultures therefore, the richness or poverty of their sacred art, architecture, and rituals will have a profound impact on life beyond their temples’ walls. Worship is traditionally conceived to be an image of and a participation in heavenly worship. It is therefore a paradise garden that seeds the cultural land beyond the temple walls. As above, so below. Such worship is the mouth of the infinite spring of God’s blessing. As the prophet Ezekiel wrote of his vision of the temple:
‘water came out from under the threshold of the temple… where the river flows everything will live’
Ezekiel 47.9
In this talk Aidan Hart will explore the profound spiritual principles that inspire the almost two thousand years of the Orthodox Church’s sacred art. This is a wholistic form of liturgy that embraces all five senses, unites matter and spirit, the inner with the outer. To illustrate these principles he will draw on works from his forty years as a professional church artist, and designer, working in icon and wall painting, mosaic, carving and church design. Although the lecture will speak primarily to the Christian tradition, the principles it explores are universal and will therefore offer insight for other forms of sacred, and indeed also non-sacred ‘gallery’ art.
Key information
Who is the lecture for?
All are welcome.
How do I attend?
This event will take place in person at The King’s Foundation: School of Traditional Arts, 19-22 Charlotte Road, London EC2A 3SG
What days/times do I attend?
Wednesday 18 March 2026, 18:30 – 20:00
FAQs
Do you offer concessions?
Yes, we offer concessions for Seniors/60+, full-time students and people who are unemployed/in receipt of benefits.
Concessions cannot be applied in retrospect. To receive a concession, please apply via our online form. We will then send you a discount code to use when booking your space.
Terms & Conditions
The School reserves the right to discontinue or suspend a Lecture up to fourteen (14) calendar days before the advertised start date. This lecture requires a minimum number of enrolments to run.
What if I need to cancel or change my booking?
No refunds or cancellations, unless cancelled by the School.
Our normal terms and conditions apply.
Biography
Aidan Hart has been a professional iconographer for over forty years, with works in over twenty-five countries of the world, including in the collections of King Charles III, Popes, and Patriarchs. He works in a variety of modes, including egg tempera, wall painting, stone and wood carving, illumination, and mosaic. He is also an essayist, speaker and author, his most recent books being Festal Icons and Face to Face. The director and tutor for the Icon Painting Certificate programme for the King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts, Aidan has also frequently appeared in the media to speak about icons, including the BBC Radio 4 series The Creation of an Icon. He is a Research Associate of the Institute of Orthodox Christian Studies, Cambridge, a Fellow of Temenos Academy, and recipient of the St John’s Pax Christi award for his illuminations in The St John’s Bible.
