Way of Sorrow

A pilgrimage in abstract paintings based on the Stations of the Cross

ABOUT THE PROJECT

This prayerful pilgrimage, paired with related ancient texts, is a visceral and emotive presentation of the Via Dolorosa.

Symbolic, powerful work.

I studied the Via Dolorosa—the path Jesus of Nazareth took on the way to his crucifixion—and wanted to present it in the abstract. Over the years, the checkpoints, or “stations,” that are acknowledged along that path have shifted back and forth, becoming more poetic and symbolic, or more literal/scriptural, but the point was always the same: to recall and relate to the suffering in this first-century story. To participate, the viewer physically moves through the stations sequentially and is invited to read and meditate at each one.

The events are horrific, and literal depictions of Jesus’ betrayal, shaming, torture, and death, felt staid and never connected for me in an emotionally impactful way.

In re-reading the accounts of the events from ancient scriptures, I began to see the narrative anew. What if this were today? If we saw state-sanctioned torture and a public murder now, it would be a collective trauma we’d reckon with in an entirely different way. Creating abstract depictions of these events allowed the work to become more emotive—seering, rageful, painful.

The End of the Story?

Typically, the Stations of the Cross—the pilgrimage on which this body of work is based—ends with the death of Jesus and his body being placed temporarily in someone else’s tomb. But the Biblical accounts of the stories continue, and for centuries Christians have held to a core belief that Jesus came back to life. It only seemed natural to include that pivotal plot element in this collection; it’s the great, cosmic “to be continued” at the end of the episode, so I added a final station to honor the resurrection.

Relatability

The religious aspect of this work may be an alienating or contentious part of it, but I hope that viewers regardless of religious background can relate to the idea of working through and sharing traumatic and painful experiences through abstract expression. I hope viewers can see that the centuries-long tradition of this pilgrimage is a form of storytelling in which we remember, acknowledge, and process painful moments, bringing them together into a meaningful story—in this case, one that’s has been retold for 2000 years.