Come closer.

Tenderness and strength brought together Paulina Krajewska’s icons.

 

Almost eight hundred years ago, a philosopher and a theologian, Saint Thomas Aquinas of the Dominican order, facing the end of his life, came to a conclusion that “nothing inspires love more than seeing that you are loved by another”. For one cannot be tricked into love with words or sublime persuasion. Discovering that for your lover, you are the most important person on the whole planet and that the world revolves around you, as well as seeing delight in your lover’s eyes along with total and unconditional acceptance and readiness to share their lot with you or even give up their life for you — this is what makes you receive and reciprocate love.

God calls upon men first. He invites them and says: “Come closer”. God craves for intimacy and unity. For Him, every human being is full of beauty. His divine utterance “Come closer” is more than just a word, it is the Word, unique in its type, form and expressive strength — The Word which became flesh: Jesus Christ. True God and True Man. Beautiful God and Beautiful Man.

Paulina Krajewska’s work is theology of intimacy, theology of delight. The viewer is completely engaged — the flesh is drawn to be as close as possible, while the mind respects the simplicity and incomprehensibility of the Divine mystery. Each painting is ardent and filled with light.

Light and ardency are properties of a flame and they indicate the presence of God. A flame both shines and burns. A night-time wanderer roaming through the desert is drawn and summoned by the charm of this light — come closer! Yet at the same time the ardency of the flame warns whomsoever would like to carelessly touch it. It expresses the realism of the particular symbol of the essence of God — the charm and inaccessibility of the Mystery. The Bible gives us a symbol of the Flame, the mystery of the presence and the activity of God — a mystery of the depth of the Cloud. Beauty and inaccessibility are the qualities of the beauty of God. This beauty attracts, but a random, uninvolved passer-by will never be allowed to capture it. It draws, hurts, arouses and enhances desire.

 

Tomasz Gałuszka OP Ph.D., John Paul II Papal University professor