Chester Cathedral is the new home to a striking sculpture of Jesus Christ, made entirely out of burned matches.
World renowned Scottish sculptor and installation artist David Mach created the unusual piece of artwork which is on loan to the cathedral for three months, in 2011.
Made from 12,000 burned matches, the sculpture is a fragile and intricate imagining of the biblical figure and took months to construct, using models and moulds constructed over several weeks, with each match being glued individually.
Turner prize nominee Mach is heavily influenced by Pop Art and consumerism, and often a sense of drama and performance in his work. Mach’s work also explores materiality on a grand scale, by bringing together multiples of mass–produced objects, such as magazines, newspapers and car tyres, in large scale installations, and his work is representational, humorous and sometimes controversial.
Chester Cathedral’s Vice-Dean, Peter Howell-Jones said: “Whilst we are sure that our cathedral is always home to Jesus Christ, we are particularly proud to display Mach’s truly remarkable version in our admissions area.”
Jesus Christ will be followed by an large David Mach exhibition in the cathedral from March 18 – May 1 2016.
