Iconic artworks light up Chapel

When designing the Chapel of St Mary, architect Mr John D. Lidbury did so with simplicity in mind. First and foremost, Mr Lidbury set out to fill the sacred building with natural light where possible. He also sloped the floor to allow all worshippers clear sight of the altar, made sure to project the sanctuary into the congregation space and intentionally kept the walls plain to allow for decoration.

In recent years, those plain, white walls have come to life thanks to the installation of several meaningful artworks. In 2010, the School commissioned Senior School Art Teacher, Ms Giada Dalli Cani, to write an icon, Madonna and Child with Eucalyptus, and in 2021, the Old Girls’ Association commissioned Giada to write a second icon, Jesus Blesses the Children, to commemorate St Mary’s Centenary year. The stunning piece was presented to the School at the Centenary Old Girls’ Chapel Service on 20 February, 2021.

Now the School community has a third chapel icon to behold, thanks to the generosity of the St Mary’s Parents’ Society and Giada’s extraordinary artistic talents.

On Wednesday 30 November 2022, a small ceremony was held to unveil and bless Resurrection. The icon depicts the most important facet of the Christian story, Jesus Christ’s resurrection, which is told in John 20:11-18.

Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept, she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic,[a] “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

During the ceremony, Giada offered a glimpse into her journey as an artist, and specifically her history with iconography. She revealed that her passion for the traditional art form developed during her time studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in her hometown of Verona, Italy.

“I have been asked often why I do iconography. I feel like contemporary artists can often feel like islands. They are out there doing a lot of swimming to try and educate themselves in order to understand their language and what they are talking about, which is necessary, because visual language is like any language – you need to understand the vocabulary to create and read works,” Giada said.

“Religious art is quite different because it has social meaning; these works underpin communal values and the people within that society understand it. They have the key to unlock the stories and symbolism of the art. Icons are useful for teaching moral and ethical values; they have a different social importance.”

Giada also spoke to some of the uniquely Australian elements of Resurrection, which included incorporating native flora into the background of the painting. She also drew inspiration from Western Australia’s rugged coastline, specifically Cottesloe beach, when depicting Jesus’ tomb.

“I am a keen gardener. Initially, I had just green vegetation without any specific plants, but my colleagues said, ‘Why don’t you put some Australian flora in there?’ I think that was a great suggestion,” Giada said.

“For a European coming to Australia, some of the flowers that we have here look quite alien and spectacular. I grew up with roses and daisies, and then I came here and saw things like kangaroo paws. I have always been fascinated by Australian flora. Also, Australia’s rock forms are quite different. I spent a lot of time at Cottesloe beach trying to replicate the coastline. I ended up with approximately 14 metres of coast on the wall.”

All members of the St Mary’s community are welcome to view Resurrection, Madonna and Child with Eucalyptus, and Jesus Blesses the Children when visiting the Chapel of St Mary. Principal, Mrs Judith Tudball, also invites all to admire another of Giada’s extraordinary icons, Saint Mary, which she commissioned on behalf of the School. It takes pride of place in the Principal’s office, where it will remain in perpetuity.