Shannon Rajchel
Artist Statement
A Picture of Your Faithfulness is a photographic display of the Japanese ceramic technique of Kintsugi; the symbolically rich art of repairing broken ceramics with gold lacquer instead of doing away with them. Kintsugi is the Japanese technique of redeeming broken ceramic pieces by applying a golden lacquer in the cracks, restoring it to its original purpose, giving it a revitalized look, and purpose.
In my life, I see myself as the broken vessel and God as the Kintsugi artist, picking up the broken pieces of my soul and revitalizing me inside and out for the purposes of His kingdom and glory. He has been slowly restoring me to a version of myself that is only possible with God’s creative, loving, and gentle artistry in my life since my life-altering encounter with Jesus in 2020.
Picture of Your Faithfulness is an attempt to display this unique concept in my own unique way through photography; with the photos I acquire in my daily walk as a Christ-follower. They are not just any photos, but photos I feel embody the story that God is writing in my life. I see God in everything, since He is in everything from the grandeur of a frighteningly gorgeous lightning storm to the gentle beauty of a fragile butterfly. Every part of creation reflects His glorious character in some way. These photos represent a few of the ways in which I have seen aspects of God’s beautiful character shine.
I take these photos and print them out so that I can begin my own process of creating Kintsugi.
Using the natural flow of the photos, I rip them apart, which at first seems destructive, but in the end, adds a special flare and purpose that could only exist with the ruin, as I repair them with gold paint
When I look at the result, I feel as though I am looking at my own life. I am simply emulating what God has already been performing on me: taking the broken pieces that I made of my life, meticulously and creatively repairing and revitalizing the vessel of my life in a way that only He could do. It perfectly describes my life story. I was blown back and forth by the wind, shattered in every way, but putting Jesus on his rightful throne in my heart set my feet on solid ground. He is patiently mending my cracks with beautiful gold. The old me has passed away, the new has come; I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. I am a true picture of His faithfulness.
