Former Mr Gay World Chris Olwage is planning an exhibition which will explore the themes of sexuality and faith, with questions like "what if Christ was gay?" Best-known for his dancing, Olwage is also a visual artist, who says the project has been a few years in the making. “It deals with the many dilemmas I faced growing up in a religious household, knowing, though not necessarily accepting, who I was ... and then coming to terms with this whilst redefining my personal faith.” He says it will be a fine arts painting, installation, and live performance art exploration of the controversial theme of sexuality and Christianity. “Controversial in the sense that I offer a suggestion, one that is shocking, but ultimately enriching. It begs the questions ‘What if?’ and ‘Would it have changed much?’ and also ‘How different would the world be if...?’” Questions will include “what if Christ were gay?” and what if “he had a long-time lover in John the Apostle or even Lazarus whom he raised from the dead?” Olwage explains, “The questions you are confronted with are yours to deal with, and only you can rationalise, process and conclude your own response; the dialogue whether spoken or internalized serves to create a deeper understanding for yourself and why you choose to believe what you do.” Olwage says he is not challenging faith, merely suggesting that we question what it is we believe so that we understand how we came to know it. He is seeking funding in a Kickstarter campaign for the costs of holding the event, which will open at LOT 23 in Eden Terrace, Auckland, on Friday 31 July.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 14th July 2015 - 10:28am