St Paul’s Cathedral and the pretty park surrounding it have a lot to admire beyond the obvious, especially on a beautiful day. Tucked away in the back is a Henry Moore alabaster-colored sculpture called “Mother & Child”.
And for those willing to climb up several hundred steps, the cathedral offers stunning views both down to the distant cathedral floor where visitors become dots blending nicely into the mosaic patterned floor.
And outside lie panoramic views of skyscrapers, steeples, bridges, Tate Modern and the busy river life along the Thames.
But this wasn’t why I came to St Paul’s. I wanted to see the donkeys.
Twenty-five brightly-colored, life-size asses trotted from Cairo to St Paul’s Cathedral in an inter-faith exhibition called ‘Caravan‘. Artists from the West and Egypt, of varying religions, were asked to decorate these fiberglass forms, sculpted by prominent Egyptian artist Reda Abdel Rahmen. Known to be loyal, hardworking and stubborn, donkeys symbolize peace in the Bible and the Qur’an. They are also humble animals, associated with the poorest of the poor. Designed to build bridges between East and West, the donkey exhibition will soon be auctioned off by Sotheby’s with all proceeds going to Egyptian charities helping the poor, regardless of whether they are Muslim or Christian.
October, 2013
