I haven't made anything out of clay or any other material for a long, way too long, time. I used to make my own jewellery, gifts for my friends and family and back home I have a whole closet with quasi-artistic material - 'quasi' because it's not artistic in its traditional meaning but can be used as such, that is shells, splinters of broken mirror, pieces of used wax ... you name it.




But then I thought, since I wasn't going to be at home for Christmas and New Year's Eve and all other holidays, I might as well make my own Christmas crib this year. So I went to buy some clay - I hoped I would get the orange one but there was only white available - put on some Christmas songs in the background for the sphere and got myself going. A roommate dropped by from time to time to check on my progress and each time I had something different under my hands. I kept smashing what I'd done waiting for an inspiration, hahaha. I had some kind of idea, it just wasn't ripe yet, hahaha. I needed to knead some more.

This is what it came out.
Though it may strike you as obvious, I'd still like to elaborate on the idea behind the visual representation. It's not that original - overwhelmed by all kinds of Christmas scenes, you get the feeling you've seen everything already - but anyway ...


I imagined the whole scene as God's hand: the figures are not IN his hand but are/make up his hand. The index finger representing Mary and the middle finger representing Joseph together form a victory sign, the same sign as Christ 'uses' in the representations of the Resurrection. My idea behind it, however, was that it is the family that two people create that is the victory for this troubled world when we all search for shelter and safety.
The other three fingers are the worshippers, either the three wise men, the shephers, the angels or simply we, believers, that came to the crib in Bethlehem or/and that keep coming to church.
They all bow to the new-born Jesus child. Jesus lies on God's palm with his arms stretched out in the sign of openness: openness to give and openness to receive. His chest holds a big heart.


May all that is good, warm, peaceful, friendly and loving pour out of his heart into your lives in 2011. May joy & compassion & forgiveness take you over. Knead your own 2011 in the way that it will give you strength, peace and faith.

Much love,
Mojca

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