Orthodox Church Art

Creating liturgical art and artifacts for Eastern Orthodox Churches - Greek Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Orthodox Church in America, Macedonian Orthodox - requires that the artist to possess a special knowledge of the Orthodox form of worship as well as knowledge of and craft in the Byzantine style of imagery. Orthodox Churches contain several items of liturgical furnishings that no other Christian denomination utilizes.

Icon screens - also called Iconostasion in Greek or Iconostasis in Slavic - are an essential feature in Orthodox Churches. They form the spiritual link between the congregation and the altar. Their three entries form the pathways of the sacramental processions. Above all, they form a framework for Holy Icons, the images through which worshippers may venerate Christ and the Saints. As Icons are windows into Heaven, the Icon Screen is the window frame. As a sculptor I am called upon to design Icon screens in such a way that the Icons are dramatically presented in a framework of richly carved plant and animal motifs that symbolize paradise.

Carved designs are also lavished upon such other uniquely Orthodox liturgical articles as Bishop’s Thrones, and Epitaphions.

The Bishop’s Throne is an actual chair reserved for the Bishop when he celebrates at a local parish, but that also contains an Icon of Christ as the eternal Bishop - the spiritual overseer of the entire church.

The Epitaphion - or Kouvouklion - is a symbolic tomb of Christ upon which an Icon of the entombed Christ is carried in solemn procession each Good Friday. The beauty of the carved tomb, further embellished with fragrant flowers, symbolizes Christ’s triumph over death.