discover the meaning
appearance
appearance is an interactive sculpture
designed to travel from place to place,
providing an opportunity for communities
to share hopes, dreams, fears and prayers
for ourselves, our local area and our world.
Everyone is invited to take part,
whatever your age or background - people of all faiths and none.
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WHERE WILL IT BE?
The first 'appearance' will be:
Cirencester Market Place
Easter Day, 5 April 2026
9.30am until 3pm
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The sculpture will be moved into the Parish Church to be part of the 4pm Easter Day service,
during which Catherine (as artist and priest)
will give a short talk.
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Based on the feedback from this event,
it is hoped that further locations can be agreed.
If you represent your community in some way and would like the work to make its 'appearance' where you are, please get in touch here
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what will
the event involve?
The event is an invitation to write or draw whatever is on your heart onto the sculpture pieces. It may be a hope or wish or something you want to express your thanks for. It could be a fear or a worry. It could relate to the world situation, your family or local neighbourhood, or yourself. You might call it a prayer but it doesn't have to be. It might be something you wish to manifest to the Universe. However, you wish to express yourself, we come together as a community to share this space, this opportunity, this moment in time.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
The event will be filmed and photographed at various points throughout the day. By taking part, you are agreeing for any photos or video in which you are seen to be used by the artist (which includes online and in hardcopy) for the sharing of this work more widely.
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If you prefer not to be included in any published photos or video, please speak to Catherine on the day. She will be wearing a pink high-vis vest.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
The sculpture pieces are made in the shape of Saxon runes, an early script used in the British isles. They spell the name 'Christ' and represent the presence of the Divine (or God, however we understand that) amongst us and the One who hears the cries of our heart.
They are positioned so that we can move between them, echoing the arrangement of ancient monuments of standing stones, as places of community gathering and of spiritual encounter. Their physical space also reflects the words quoted by St Paul, when he wrote that Christ is the one in whom 'we live and move and have our being'.
The title 'appearance' is taken from the accounts of Jesus appearing to different groups of people after his crucifixion - the so-called 'resurrection appearances'. He appeared in a way that was both familiar and unfamiliar, as it took some people time to realise who it was. By using runes instead of our usual letters, the sculpture tries to represent this strangeness.
about the artist
The sculpture has been designed and built by professional artist, Catherine Lomas, as part of her continuing studies for a Masters in Fine Art with Oxford Brookes University.
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Catherine is also an ordained priest in the Church of England, based in Gloucester diocese. Her art is an invitation to explore different ways to reflect on our understanding of the Universe and the spiritual dimensions of life. 'appearance' is one of several works from her current practice that consider the way in which we engage with text. By disrupting how we read words, her work suggests other ways of understanding and being.