The Reflection Gallery continues its quiet witness, providing thought-provoking artistic work and creating an atmosphere for quiet contemplation. We thank the Friends and visitors to the Gallery for their interest.
Displays in the gallery change periodically and have consisted of paintings, photography and mixed media presentations by Christian artists who are generously displaying expressions of their journey of faith through art.
The Reflection Gallery is open from 10am to 3pm daily.
The current display is:
Via Dolorosa —An Exhibition by Olga Bakhtina
The Road to Calvary, or Via Dolorosa (‘mournful way’), is the name given to Christ’s final journey from Jerusalem to the hill of Calvary, or Golgotha (‘the place of the skull’), where he was crucified. While the Via Dolorosa recounts Christ’s final steps toward crucifixion, it also symbolizes the universal human experiences that inspire me to paint biblical scenes, reflecting both our capacity for love and kindness alongside the tragic realities of suffering and betrayal.
Although these universal themes continue to resonate in our modern times, I am often asked why I paint Bible scenes. There are a few reasons, but the most important reason is that my paintings are not just about the Bible. These works are about humanity and what comes with it – the beautiful things in life like love and unexpected kindness, devotion, and sacrifice. But humanity also brings pain and tragedy·- betrayal, greed, cruelty, and war. Has anything really changed since the Bible was written?
Nowadays it seems that the world is collapsing back to Biblical times, as if there is a crack in civilisation: on one hand, there is humanism and advanced technologies, which Joshua, who stopped the sun in the Old Testimony, did not dream of. On the other hand, there remains a lot of hate and barbarism which we see around the world way too frequently. Sometimes it feels like as if we’re flipping through the Bible and checking it with our reality.
I think we can all relate to the Biblical stories and lessons, in one way or another. The Bible has lots of answers. My Biblical works are my attempts to find them, to process what is happening in the world, and in my own life. They are my prayers, too. Someone once said that artis the highest form of hope.
Olga’s works will be on display till early June.
About Olga
Olga Bakhtina is a Brisbane artist working in oil and charcoal. She started painting 15 years ago in the Sultanate of Oman while living there with her family for 4 years.Olga studied History of Art at the University of Queensland and has a passion for Early Renaissance art in which she finds serenity and inspiration. Since her first solo exhibition in 2012 in Oman, Olga has been exhibiting regularly across Australia. Her work was most recently exhibited at St David’s Anglican Church, Chelmer in Brisbane. Olga’s next solo exhibition will be at St John’s Cathedral in Brisbane in July-August 2025 .
For more information, please visit Olga’s website.
Paintings and fine art prints of the works are available for sale. Please contact Olga to arrange purchase. Mobile phone: 0410 197 946
Thank you for your support. Please continue to pray for the Gallery and its outreach, for the people that visit it, for Olga, the artist whose work is currently on display. Grace and peace to you.