Olga Bakhtina returns in 2026 with Mercy, a luminous new exhibition hosted at St John’s Anglican Cathedral, Brisbane, running from 1 July to 19 August.
One of the most significant elements of the exhibition is Bakhtina’s new series on St Francis of Assisi, created to mark the 800th anniversary of his death. These pieces do not simply commemorate Francis; they reinterpret his witness through colour, gesture, and the artist’s characteristic attention to the human face. They sit alongside fresh engagements with gospel narratives, each rendered with Bakhtina’s unmistakable blend of narrative immediacy and contemplative stillness.
Visitors to St John’s will find an exhibition that is both spiritually resonant and visually arresting. The cathedral setting amplifies the work’s themes – light, mercy, vulnerability, and hope – creating a dialogue between art and architecture that rewards slow looking.
If you’re in Brisbane this winter, Mercy is well worth experiencing. More information here.
Art/s and Theology Australia 