LONDON.- Halcyon presents Sacred & Profane at its flagship gallery at 148 New Bond Street. Featuring Andy Warhol, David LaChapelle, Dominic Harris, Graceland London, Mitch Griffiths, Pedro Paricio, Robert Montgomery, and Santiago Montoya, this new exhibition explores how artists reimagine religious iconography, and deeply rooted art historical themes to address contemporary phenomena, juxtaposing the past with the present.

For many centuries, art served primarily religious purposes with paintings and sculptures acting as focal points for devotion or as educational tools about morality – the art in Sacred & Profane draws from this tradition and its rich iconography, inviting the viewer to reflect on the role of spirituality in today’s world. By reimagining ancient symbols and narratives, the art challenges perceptions of faith, culture and society.



Oil painter Mitch Griffiths is a prominent feature with his hyper-realistic canvases, which recall the style of 17th Century Italian artist Caravaggio. Despite adopting this Baroque aesthetic, traditionally reserved for art of a religious nature, Griffiths instead uses it to address modern issues such as the dangers of social media, the threat of global warming, and the power of commercial brands.

At the focal point of the show is a purpose-built classical altar in which hangs Griffiths’ harrowing portrait entitled Shrine, capturing a woman with a drone on her head that she wears like a crown. She appears like a contemporary Madonna, alluding to modern day warfare carried out by unmanned machines.



The lower gallery opens a dialogue between celebrated photographer David LaChapelle, emerging artist Graceland London and pioneer of Pop art Andy Warhol. LaChapelle took the last ever photographic portrait of Warhol in 1986. It hangs hauntingly in the exhibition alongside Warhol’s silkscreens of skulls. Graceland London’s work demonstrates how the legacy of Pop art continues into the 21st Century but also draws from Christian art, a theme that she shares with the work of Warhol and LaChapelle.

The exhibition includes murals by Santiago Montoya. The Colombian artist collects banknotes from around the world to create artwork that is charged with political and historical connotations and notions of national identity. These artworks simultaneously serve as vibrant mosaics created from a completely novel medium.



Scottish artist and poet Robert Montgomery showcases conceptual sculptures in the exhibition, which take inspiration from church altarpieces. Over the last few years, the artist who made his name as the Banksy of poetry, pasting verse across the streets of Shoreditch, has directed his attention to painting in a more dedicated way: on display is his painting of the Annunciation, capturing the Angel Gabriel as he gives the Virgin Mary the news that she will have a son. The expressively captured scene is in dialogue with Montgomery’s poetry, which frames the holy figures, delivering a message of renewal.

The exhibition also features canvases by Spanish artist Pedro Paricio, who appropriates motifs and compositions from Old Master painters Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres and Caravaggio. He reimagines celebrated oil paintings with a vibrant painterly approach and the kaleidoscopic patterns that characterise his style.



Returning to Halcyon’s flagship gallery is the work of pioneering digital artist Dominic Harris. His interactive environments will be presented as an immersive experience in a purpose-built space in the lower gallery. His work also deliberately forms a dialogue with art history. The Essence of Time is a piece created across three digital canvases to form a triptych of butterflies which flutter around traditional symbols of birth, life and death.

Kate Brown, Creative Director at Halcyon, explains: ‘At Halcyon, we represent artists whose work interacts with art history in incredibly nuanced and powerful ways, both in homage to the past and as a way to highlight what is distinctive about the contemporary period. In directly addressing our time, their work is incredibly poignant for a modern audience.’

Sacred & Profane is on view at Halcyon, 148 New Bond Street.