Curator’s Statement
I first became aware of the work of Dr. Raj through copies of the journal,
Image: Christ in Art in Asia, given to me by Naomi Wray, to whom I will
always be grateful for introducing me to the art of Christians living in India
and elsewhere in Asia. In this exhibition of prints and batiks, P. Solomon Raj
demonstrates his technical virtuosity as an artist, often reinterpreting similar
visual ideas in woodcuts, etchings, and batiks, or revisiting the same
composition at a different scale. The result is a surprising freshness, a
directness of gesture that draws the viewer in to examine the differences as
well as noting the similarities.
In
his art, Raj draws on both the biblical text and the social and cultural context
in which he works. By inserting the familiar stories into a place and time far
removed from their origin, he invites us to reconsider what it means to be
faithful. These are not literalistic illustrations, but rather multi-layered
explorations of the inner meaning of scripture narratives and concepts.
Regardless of specific subject matter, Raj communicates a deep, wordless joy in
his dual calling as artist and Christian.
When
Dr. Zersen approached me about this exhibition, I was delighted that we were
able to find a mutually agreeable time in which to bring it to the Dadian
Gallery. Previously, the works have been shown at Austin Presbyterian
Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas and Concordia Seminary in St. Louis,
Missouri, where they have been enthusiastically received.
Deborah Sokolove
Curator, Dadian Gallery
About P. Solomon Raj
I
was fascinated to read a treatise by Solomon Raj entitled "Art and the Gospel."
Reflecting on the same Biblical stories I had grown up reading, he saw things in
them I had never seen. Of course, differences can occur between any two
perspectives, but these were largely cultural differences. What we experience in
maturing can have enormous impact upon us, especially when it is conditioned by
settings as different as the United States and India. Solomon Raj grew up in
India, and his views on faith and life had to be conditioned by what he
experienced there. It can be a blessing for us to see what he saw.
Life
Review
Born the son of a Lutheran mission schoolteacher in the West Godavary
district of Andra Pradesh, Raj married Mary Sarojini at 25 and prepared to
follow in his father’s footsteps as a teacher (B.Sc., 1945, B.Ed., 1947). After
a decade as a teacher, he entered Gurukul Theological College (B.D. 1956) and
was ordained as a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. For the next eight
years, he served as a student chaplain and a field director of audio-visual
education in several educational institutions.
Acquiring
a M.S. in Communication (1964-65) at the University of Indiana, Bloomington, Raj
returned to India to direct a radio station for ten years (during which time he
visited Ethiopia three times where he was influenced by iconography and
manuscript printing). He taught communication at Selly Oak Colleges, Birmingham,
UK, for five years, during which time he also earned a Ph.D. at Birmingham
University.
During 1984-85, Raj was visiting lecturer and Artist-in-Residence at Bethany
College, Lindsborg, KS and Lenoire Rhyne College in NC. He subsequently served
as Artist-in-Residence at the Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music, Manila
(1990-91). In 1991, he was awarded a stipend by the Asian Christian Arts
Association to study Japanese wood-block printing at Doshisha University in
Kyoto.
Throughout
all these years, Raj felt personally challenged to communicate his faith. His
interest in photography and art became a natural means to develop this interest.
One can see the influences from his studies in Japan, Manila, and Ethiopia in
his works. He himself refers to regular visits to the Albrecht Dürer museum and
house in Nurnburg, Germany, as an influence. One’s experiences can have a
powerful impact on one’s creative output. He insists, however, that his primary
influence has been India.
Raj received recognition and honor for his artistic expression. In 1986 he
was elected President of the Asian Christian Art Association; made a William
Paton Fellow, Sellow Oak Colleges, UK; won awards in competitions from ACAA, the
World Council of Churches and Bread for the World. He has held lectures and
shows in many countries including Germany, Japan, UK, USA., Sweden, Finland,
Netherlands and Philippines.
Impact
on art
Such a life review is important to understand the emphases in Raj’s life
work, primarily in batiks and printmaking. At the age of 84, now serving as
Director of St. Luke’s Ashram for fine arts, Vijayawada, especially in song,
dance and drama, he is a frequently published spokesman on the subject of faith
and art. In six books and many articles, his perspective becomes increasingly
clear to us in the West. Between the lines of his biography written above, the
following insights tell us who Raj really is—and to some degree also, who we
are.
1.
Dalit heritage and identification with Jesus as outsider. Growing up as an
Indian outcaste, Raj speaks with many Indian Dalit theologians who powerfully
express what Christianity has offered them and Hinduism denied them. Without
an understanding of this background, we cannot understand why The Flight to
Egypt is so important to Raj. Jesus is understood to be a refugee, one of
those for whom security and advantage is denied. In Christ Carrying the
Cross, Jesus’ loincloth shows him to be a member of the lowest caste. In
Ruth the Gleaner, we see the joy of a nobody becoming accepted. In his
Liberation series, we see the captive’s release, the freedom from
bondage the Indian people know so well. Without understanding his background,
we may not capture the significance of much of what he illustrates, but we
also would lack new perspectives on burdens from which we ourselves struggle
to be free.
2.
Theological challenges to complacent Christians. Raj takes us beyond
the insights mentioned above with some interesting theological perspectives.
In Women at Golgatha, he presents a new tradition, surrounding Jesus by
women helping him bear the burden of the cross. The strong female Christian
population in India encourages this perspective of women in ministry. The
dramatic portrait of The Refugees (inspired by the 1973 Bangladesh war)
shows a suffering Christ sustaining a family, reminding the viewer what
faithful discipleship entails. The award-winning Freedom and Unity of the
Church stunningly presents the Holy Spirit as a ship in which all God’s
children have unity and peace. Interesting to have an Indian remind us of
that.
3.
Art as a communication tool with seekers. Raj’s Master’s degree in
communication and his work in media education challenged him to find new ways
to share the Gospel. He does not simply produce interesting art. He sees
himself as a teacher. Much of Protestantism in India from the Reformed
tradition was extremely suspicious of art in churches—paradoxically in a
culture which lived from its art. Raj felt called to develop poetic
meditations to accompany his artwork. He wrote learning strategies for classes
who were open to learning from it. In his series, Liberation in Luke’s
Gospel, he suggests that students choose the print they like the best,
write a paragraph or a meditation about it, and share it with a group.
Clearly, Raj wants to take the viewer beyond gawking and passive review to a
positive interpretation which speaks powerfully and personally. His zeal to do
this at age 84 is poignant and encouraging.
Solomon Raj serves as a bridge-builder between cultures because he is a
citizen of a larger world. His experience builds a vision which his faith shares
with us through his art. Each of us can be enriched if we permit ourselves to
see some of what he has seen.
Dr. David Zersen, President Emeritus
Concordia University at Austin
Seeing
with Indian Eyes: 
