Justin Claravall, MA
Christ Crucified
Egg tempera and gold on gessoed board
65 x 92 x 4.3 cm
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Egg tempera and gold on gessoed board
21 x 28 x 2.5 cm
Artist Statement
I want to make art that helps people to pray, because prayer connects us to God, the source of life and love. Though I primarily work in Byzantine iconography and western calligraphy, I hope that their symbols—words and images familiar to Christians—will move anyone’s heart to contemplation and prayer in his or her own way. Lessons at the School of Traditional Arts have given me confidence that religious art made rigorously and intentionally produces beautiful work appreciable by all.
Using egg tempera for painting, and pen and ink for calligraphy links me to the work of artists from previous generations. The required preparation time for these materials fosters not only awareness of the importance of using traditional methods and materials but also my awareness of the source and cost of these materials on the environment. While preparing to paint or write, I can pray for the people in the supply chain, and the people who may benefit from my art.
I participate in a long tradition of artists making images and writing texts for the public worship of the Church. Both ancient and new churches employ an established language of symbols to aid people in connecting with the divine and each other. In homes throughout the world, people have established shrines and corners with icons and holy scriptures to maintain their relationship with God in private spaces. These public and private dimensions of divine worship inspire me to produce images and texts that serve the needs of the people of faith in both sectors, hoping that their burdens may be lightened and imaginations ignited.
Theotokos of Vladimir
Egg tempera and gold on gessoed board
21x 28 x 2.5 cm
Biography
Justin is a Catholic priest in the Society of Jesus, born in Los Angeles, California to parents from the Philippines. He grew up immersed in the visual cultures of Catholicism, comic books, digital art, and photography, and studied art history in university before entering the Jesuits in 2009.
As a Jesuit, he began practising calligraphy in the ancient uncial and blackletter scripts. A summer workshop in iconography with a Byzantine monk inspired his commitment to practising Byzantine and medieval western Christian art. As a priest, he served in an urban parish in Los Angeles and saw the power of both religious art and street art to inspire people to struggle for peace and justice. This led him to integrate art with his ministry as an act of service and empowerment for others. He attended the School of Traditional Arts to hone his artistic skills in a community of like-minded artists.