Preposterous Saints Arrive in Balmain

Among many joys to take from Sydney based artist Chaia Fein’s fascinating book of stories and illustrations ‘Preposterous Saints’, one is that religious inspired imagery need not always be pious.

Having lived and exhibited in Italy for many years and been influenced by its relics and icon industry, Fein has combined a love of language with her vivid imagination to create images and stories of a confronting and fascinating quality.

The book, subtitled ‘The Saints The Church Wants to Hide’, promises a patron saint for anyone who dares to search within its many humorous pages - whether your guardian is St Libidinous, St Abstemious, St Bibulous, St Avaricious, St Litigious, to name just a few.

With the book’s launch to be held at Balmain Town Hall meeting room this Sunday, Chaia can expect to be asked to name a few of her favourites amongst the 366 Preposterous Saints contained in the work.

Many of the characters in the images have had a previous life before, as the gallery of Saints were originally exposed at Sydney’s ‘gallery hm’ in May, 2009. The positive feedback from that exhibition in turn prompted Fein to put many of these characters together in one literary volume with colourful historical notes included.

The published work presents a colourful collection of sanctified misfits, felons and the misunderstood presented in the context of the author’s love of absurdist humour.

Chaia has explored a wide range of art mediums in her long and very productive career, including screen printing, tapestry, jewellery, silver smithing, painting and sculpture.

She has exhibited in Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Holland, Denmark, England and Ireland and returned to Australia in late 2003 after living for more than 20 years in Europe.

The book will be launched at 2.30pm on Sunday 25 September at a free event with light refreshments at the Balmain Town Hall Meeting Room, 370 Darling Street Balmain.

For more information, phone 9367 9211 or go to https://www.innerwest.nsw.gov.au/explore/whats-on#/

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Page last updated: 03 Jun 2022