British painter Stanley Warren (1917-1992) described painting murals as a Prisoner of War in Singapore as a powerful religious experience—one he never felt before or since. As a WWII POW, he created five murals in St Luke’s Chapel, which was built by POWs in Changi, Singapore, depicting Jesus’ life and holding onto faith in dire circumstances.
Does faith reveal its true strength in hardship? Was Warren’s art an expression of hope, a spiritual practice, or something more? And how can faith-driven art help us see both beauty and humanity—even in those we call enemies?
The Revd Dr Stephanie Burette is Chaplain at both Lady Margaret Hall and Corpus Christi College, Oxford. Her research specialises in the works of British artists in the first half of the twentieth century, mostly in wartime. Prior to arriving in Oxford, she served in Durham as Chaplain and Solway Fellow at University College and the Department of Theology and Religion, St James Episcopal Church in Florence, and St George’s College and Cathedral in Jerusalem.