In 2015, I painted a 5 x 4 ft icon of “Christ in Majesty” for my
Coptic Orthodox Church. Having attended a Russian icon workshop, I
felt compelled to synthesize both Coptic and Russian styles in my
design, which was completely original. Under the guidance of a Duke
Divinity iconographer, I sketched, etched, mixed egg tempera,
gilded, painted, floated and highlighted, bringing the icon from the
darkness of roskrysh to the light of ozhivki in a
year-long theological process. My experiences completing and
presenting the project to various communities not only increased my
passion for an art form linked to my Egyptian heritage, but also
honed my precision and patience.
