Conceived over thirty years of painting and creating in his studio, this book is Makoto Fujimura's broad and deep exploration of creativity and the spiritual aspects of "making." What he does in the studio is theological work as much as it is aesthetic work. In between pouring precious, pulverized minerals onto handmade paper to create the prismatic, refractive surfaces of his art, he comes into the quiet space in the studio in a discipline of awareness, waiting, prayer, and praise.
Ranging from the Bible to T. S. Eliot, Mark Rothko, and Japanese Kintsugi technique, he shows how, unless we are making something, we cannot know the depth of God's being and God's grace permeating our lives. This poignant and beautiful book offers the perspective of, in Christian Wiman's words, an "accidental theologian," one who comes to spiritual questions always through the prism of art.
"Art and Faith features more biblical exegesis than studio tips, as the painter wrestles eloquently with art-averse fellow Christians who prefer narrow-minded 'culture war' to the 'culture care' he advocates."-- The Economist
"A beautiful book. . . . Art and Faith should be widely read. Its delightful wisdom and clarity underlines our culture's desperate need to make things new."--Susanne Sklar, Arts Fuse
"Engaging. . . . Fujimura gathers the many themes from each corner of his vibrant career into a single volume that persuasively articulates a 'theology of making' while communicating that vision in a contemplative style that itself radiates the very creativity he advocates."--Joel Clarkson, Christianity Today
"[An] elegant treatise. . . . Fujimura's sensitive, evocative theology will appeal to believers interested in the role religion can play in the creation of art."-- Publishers Weekly
"A brilliant, dense, and far-reaching study of the relationship between art, artist, and the living Creator. . . . Fujimura brings his passion, talent, knowledge, and love of God and man strongly to bear."--Richard Christman, Forefront
"One of the most beautiful aspects of Art and Faith, and I would argue one of the most appealing aspects of Christianity itself, is the insistence that though the world is broken, its brokenness is the basis of its rebirth. . . . Fujimura often uses moving personal anecdotes . . . that lure us in with their warmth, humor, and tenderness. And anyone interested in the creative act or worried about our culture's elevation of consuming over making will find plenty to mull over."--Scott Beauchamp, Washington Examiner
"[In] this delightful book . . . Fujimura teaches us what he has learned on his path to God, and in so doing reveals the depth dimension to any artistic making. . . . Fujimura writes powerfully of the need for Christians to reengage with this finesse for making and set aside the culture wars of apologetics. . . . We need to help reopen the pathways to God."--Terence Sweeney, Dappled Things
"Fujimura's manifesto. . . . An invitation to us all to remember, reflect, and reclaim humanity's first (and often forgotten) vocation of being cocreators with the ultimate Creator."--Zachary Lee, Fare Forward
Makoto Fujimura is an artist whose exhibitions in New York and Asia have been featured in the New York Times, the Atlantic, and other leading publications. He is the recipient of the 2023 Kuyper Prize and is an award-winning author. He is founder of IAMCultureCare and the Fujimura Institute, and cofounder of Kintsugi Academy. He has served on the National Council on the Arts.
Yale University Press
Pub Date: January 05, 2021
0.75" H x 7.75" L x 5.8" W
184 pages
hardcover