From the almond-shaped eyes to the clothing style, the East, or Orient, is clearly visible in this month’s cover art. Bold colors, mixed perspectives, and the kneeling Magi’s bold gaze into the viewer’s eyes speak of modernity. Yet ancient traditions of the West are comfortable in He Qi’s painting as well. For example, the baby Jesus holds an apple. By the time of the Renaissance, the apple’s appearance in European painting was common, symbolizing Jesus’ coming to earth to save humanity from our sin. Using the apple is based on an even earlier tradition that it was the “fruit” spoken of in Genesis 3. Three Magi appear, an early inference from Matthew’s list of three gifts brought by the visitors from the East: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Often we view a piece of art with limited perspective, seeing only the most obvious elements. Artist He Qi is not bound by such limits. He studied medieval art at the Hamburg (Germany) Institute of Art and received his Ph.D. in Religious Art from Nanjing Art College. Formerly Professor of Christian Art at Nanjing Theological Seminary, he now lives and works in St. Paul, MN. His online site states that he “hopes to help change the ‘foreign image’ of Christianity in China by using artistic language, and at the same time, to supplement Chinese art the way Buddhist art did in ancient times.” With both eyes and heart seeing beyond the usual boundaries, He Qi offers a painting that boasts elements ancient and new — reaching across time from ancient to modern, and across space, East to West. This statement is truly appropriate for such a universal event as the birth of our Savior, who came for all people.

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To see a video created by He Qi, click here.