Kim Anderson, Class of 1997
2015 Alumni Art Prize Recipient - Artist Statement
Ink and charcoal on paper
‘To live by the light of Christ’... what exactly does that mean? After ruminating on this for a long time, I decided to strip it back to its barest elements – to take a humanistic point of view, rather than an overtly religious one.
The image is deliberately kept very simple, but I hope that it invites contemplation and in time reveals a greater complexity of meaning. This could be a gesture of openness, of welcome and acceptance, or of letting go. Of joy, or perhaps despair. An embrace, or a sacrifice. Abandonment, or freedom. A lone cry of anguish to the heavens, or a moment of silent prayer. Each person will bring their own interpretation to it, and this may change each time they revisit it.
Regardless of race or religion, whether you believe in Christ or not, there is a shared human desire amongst most of us to strive to be a better person. To treat others as we would have them treat us. To be fair, just and moral, to love and be loved, and to improve ourselves and the lives of those around us. To be the best people we can be in this world in whatever it is that we do – that is what ‘living by the light of Christ’ means to me.
Kim Anderson, 2015
