Prepare for the Coming of the Messiah
oil and painted found object on canvas
32 x 16
Prepare for the Coming of the Messiah was inspired by images of women that have carried belief, care, and expectation across generations. Drawing from Raphael’s Madonna della Sedia, the work references a lineage of female figures who have served as vessels for faith, hope, and projected futures. These images have shaped cultural memory and visual language for centuries, often placing women at the center of narratives of salvation and renewal.
Into this familiar composition, a twentieth century baby doll protrudes from the canvas, partially painted and partially intact. The doll disrupts the idealized image of motherhood and divinity, introducing something awkward, fragile, and unresolved. The doll becomes a stand in for uncertainty, longing, and the persistent human desire for transformation, motherhood and nurturing.
The work considers messianic belief not as a singular religious event, but as a recurring hope carried through time, often borne by women’s bodies and labor. By merging classical painting with a mass produced object, the piece collapses past and present, sacred and ordinary. It honors the women who have carried stories of faith, rebirth, and endurance.
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