This mural is composed of thousands of 30mm hexagonal ceramic tiles, secured into frames covered in gold leaf. Martin Roestenburg has painted the tiles with vivid colours (red, blue, yellow, orange and green) – sometimes the colour picks out individual tiles and at other times a representational image is painted continuously across several tiles. This allows for ambiguity between the representation and the surface of the mural.

Christ occupies a red field, while in the corners around the cross are arranged images of Mary and John the Baptist in lower left and right corners, and grids of Biblical symbols, top left and right in fields of blue. A simplified crown of thorns floats above Christ’s head while below his feet is a chalice and wafer representing the Eucharist.

Roestenburg was commissioned to create three works for St Mary’s in Taihape: this work, the figure of the Crucified Christ in the wheel window on the front of the church, and the mosaic of St Joseph in the foyer.

The Church is open for visitors everyday, 9:30am - 4pm between October and March. Church services are held at 8am on Sundays evenings.

See also:

• ‘A Centennial Story: St Mary’s Parish Taihape: 1899-1999’, [Taihape, N.Z. : St. Mary's Parish Centennial Committee, 1999]