St. James' Church

Sacred Dialogues: The Art of Madhvi Parekh

In association with
St. James' Church
In collaboration with
Seagull Books
Curator's Note

Madhvi Parekh’s art navigates the universal and the intimate, inviting viewers to reflect on faith not as doctrine but as shared humanity. Born in Gujarat, Parekh’s early life was steeped in the tactile rituals of rural India - floor patterns, embroidery, and mythological tales told by her mother. These influences gave her art a rhythmic quality, where the sacred is intertwined with the everyday. Parekh’s fascination with Jesus transcends religion; for her, he is a muse—a figure of suffering and compassion whose story speaks across cultures. At St. James’ Church, Parekh’s works engage light to transform them into living presences. Sunlight streams through stained glass, and candles flicker against her luminous surfaces, turning the viewing experience into a quiet ritual. The church becomes an extension of her canvas, its shifting light echoing the spiritual ambiguity of her themes. At their core, her paintings remind us that faith and art are not fixed - they are processes, constantly reinterpreted, constantly alive.