Tears of Gold exhibition – Lincoln, Coventry and Truro Cathedral

Tears of Gold, an exhibition of self-portraits by Nigerian Christian women that show hope in the face of persecution.

Tears of Gold exhibition – finding hope in the face of persecution.

The exhibition opened in Lincoln Cathedral on Monday  (24 Feb) and runs until 9 March followed by Coventry Cathedral this Spring and then in Truro Cathedral this Autumn.

Full dates below.

A group of Christian women from northern Nigeria created self-portraits to process the trauma they’ve experienced because of violent attacks. The paintings contain tears of gold: a sign of how tragedy can be transformed into hope through the love of God.

Alongside the self-portraits, you can see portraits of these women created by British artist and human rights activist, Hannah Rose Thomas. The paintings were created as part of a trauma healing programme run in northern Nigeria by Open Doors that supports persecuted Christians around the world.

The Tears of Gold exhibition is also named after a book of paintings by Hannah of persecuted women from three different faiths.

Hannah painted the portraits of the woman after a trip to a trauma centre in northern Nigeria with Open Doors, a charity which campaigns on behalf of persecuted Christians all around the world.

In an online interview with Durham University, Hannah said:

“For the Nigerian portraits I used this blue precious pigment called lapis lazuli that’s only found in Afghanistan. It was used in Renaissance paintings of the Virgin Mary because it was the most expensive pigment.  

“It’s for that symbolism that I used that colour for the portraits of the Nigerian women.” 

She added: “Most of them painted tears of gold and that was the inspiration for the book.” 

“In the course of the painting workshop I saw how God thinks about me, how He looks at me,” says Aisha, one of the women whose portraits you can see. “God has promised me that one day He will wipe away all our tears. All the pain and the worries we have faced, one day He will wipe away all our tears.”

Emma Worrall, Open Doors UK and Ireland Strategic Opportunities Lead, said:

“All of the women featured in the exhibition have survived horrific sexual violence by Islamic extremists – either by Boko Haram insurgents or Fulani militants.  

“While everyone is affected by the insecurity in northern Nigeria, Christian communities are specifically targeted. When villages are attacked, men and boys are killed, while women and girls are abducted. 

“The paintings contain tears of gold: a sign of how tragedy can be transformed into hope through the love of God.” 

Tears of Gold is part of Open Doors’ See. Change. campaign, highlighting the persecution that Christian women face around the world for both their faith and their gender

Tears of Gold:

• Lincoln Cathedral: Monday 24th February – Sunday 9th March
• Coventry Cathedral: Saturday 29th March – Saturday 13th April
• Truro Cathedral: Friday 17th October – Sunday 2nd November.