Comments on: Full Bloom

By: Tony Lee

Tony Lee — Mon, 04 May 2009 15:30:44 +0000

During mid 2003 I had the pleasure to visit the Shanghai Cathedral where my wife and I were privileged to spend about an hour or so with Theresa Wo Ye, the designer artist who was trained in traditional Chinese painting and at the liturgical art school in Milan. We watched her at work on the stained glass panels assisted ny her team of assistants, all nuns, and we were truly amazed at her skill and craftsmanship. We praise and thank God for the gift of Theresa Wo Ye who is the only woman, and a Chinese at that, ever to be commissioned by a Catholic Cathedral for such a stupendous task to create some hundreds, I believe, of stained glass panels for the entire Cathedral.

By: Adam

Adam — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 15:44:03 +0000

Narelle – Thanks for the comment, and you’re right: the lower level nave windows are quite Catholic, indeed. Over the course of forty-four panels, they recount the gospels. It’s no ordinary re-telling, either. Chinese iconography plays an important and complementary role in the cycle, providing a distinctly Chinese character to these extraordinary images. I’m going to hold off posting photos of those windows for the time being (I have them), as they will be republished in another format in the not-so-distant future. Thanks much for the comment.

By: Narelle O'Shea

Narelle O'Shea — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:06:34 +0000

Thanks for posting these lovely windows. If you also post the windows on the lower floor (perhaps you have?) then the negative comment about the lack of a Catholic or biblical dimension to the windows would be answered.

By: Random Friar

Random Friar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:19:21 +0000

The windows are very nice but I don’t see anything Catholic about them.

By: Xiaojing

Xiaojing — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 02:58:24 +0000

Very beautiful photos. During expo2010 Wo Ye will get recognize for being important international artist in Shanghai. Many people already know her.

By: andy

andy — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 05:19:18 +0000

The photos are very good. All I can think is that photos of the windows are going to be THE coffee table book when finished! BTW, Semper must be a new reader.

By: Scott Loar

Scott Loar — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:04:42 +0000

The design of the stained glass work is very difficult, because although done in sections at a time the windows in the cathedral regardless of theme or allegory must complement each other yet comprise a whole, like chapters in a book, but unlike a book the entire work is immediately encompassed by the eye. As more and more of the windows are put in place this difficult, large-scale work will perhaps be recognized for what it is, one of the finest expressions of art in modern China.

By: Adam

Adam — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 09:57:27 +0000

Marjorie – Totally with you on that. Even if a camera existed which could capture all of that color, it couldn’t capture what it feels like to experience all of that gold from below. A singular experience, and one that I recommend, highly.

By: Marjorie

Marjorie — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:10:36 +0000

Beautiful pictures. I think you’ve captured some of the cathedral’s magic, though there’s nothing like seeing those windows in real life.

By: JohnG

JohnG — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 03:48:44 +0000

Awesome photos. I will have to give this a look at Christmas.