Peace and Compassion at St Pauls

In peace and with compassion

A major interfaith art exhibition of 25 life-size painted donkeys,
created by premier Egyptian and Western artists.

30 August - 23 September 2013

St Paul's Cathedral, London

As Egypt continues to seek its path into the future, St Paul’s will host a unique interfaith exhibition, In Peace and with Compassion, which will see 25 life-size painted donkeys arrive at the Cathedral having travelled from Cairo.

Sponsored by the Embassy of Switzerland, and supported by the British Council, theCARAVAN interfaith art exhibition sees the work of Western and Egyptian artists, both Muslim and Christian, who were each asked to decorate a life-size fibreglass donkey that was sculpted by the noted Egyptian artist Reda Abdel Rahman.

The donkeys were first exhibited at the Anglican Church of St John the Baptist in Cairo, a centre for interfaith dialogue for over 80 years. They were then placed in strategic public locations throughout Cairo, where they achieved huge amounts of interest. They will now come to St Paul’s before being auctioned by a Sotheby’s auctioneer, with all profits going to charities in Egypt that serve the poorest of the poor, regardless of their creed.

EXHIBITION DETAILS The CARAVAN installation will be situated in the south nave aisle of the Cathedral. The exhibition is free to view, but entry to the Cathedral is subject to usual sightseeing charges. All those attending services at the Cathedral (for which there is never any charge), will have the opportunity to view the exhibition.

The CARAVAN exhibition follows in the footsteps of a number of public art displays that have featured painted animals, yet with an added depth in its symbolism, intention and message. The donkey symbolises peace in both Christianity and Islam, and is found in both the Bible and in the Qur’an. Examples are numerous, such as both Jesus and Omar Ibn El Khattab, the second caliph, each riding donkeys when they entered Jerusalem. The donkey also represents the poor, as it is an animal of burden, and this is especially the case in Egypt.

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