- Graffiti found in Canterbury Cathedral is part of a new art installation.
- The installation titled "Hear Us" features questions posed to God during community workshops.
- The artwork has drawn criticism and praise from the public.
Visitors to Canterbury Cathedral in England this week were shocked to find its interior walls and pillars covered in graffiti.
The graffiti is actually part of a new exhibition that is drawing mixed reaction to say the least.
According to The Times, one visitor described the interior of the ancient building as looking like “an underground car park in Peckham.”
The graffiti art around the building appeared just days after the Rev. Sarah Mullally was announced as the next Archbishop of Canterbury in the cathedral.
This brightly colored art that looks to be spray-painted on the wall is actually part of an art installation that has divided public opinion.
What is the new art installation?
Multiple pieces of art, prominent on pillars, walls and staircases, look to be spray painted in typical street fashion, mimicking different styles such as rounded “throw-up” lettering, scribbled “tags” and more complex “wildstyle” designs, per The Times.
Canterbury Cathedral was founded in the year A.D. 576, per The Independent.
These pieces have not actually been spray-painted on the building; they have actually been “expertly and sensitively” applied as stick-on graphics. Each graphic carries a question that people have asked God in their moments of curiosity or doubt.
The questions include “Are you there?”, “Where does love come from?”, “God, what happens when we die?” and “Why did you create hate when love is by far more powerful?”
The art installation titled “Hear Us” was put together by Alex Vellis, a poet, and Jacquiline Creswell, a curator. It was inspired by community workshops during which people responded to the question: “What would you ask God?”
“There is a rawness which is magnified by the graffiti style that is disruptive,” said the Very Rev David Monteith, dean of Canterbury, recognizing the project’s potential to divide opinion.
“There is also an authenticity in what is said because it is unfiltered and not tidied up or sanitized. Above all, this graffiti makes me wonder why I am not always able to be as candid, not least in my prayers. This exhibition intentionally builds bridges between cultures, styles and genres and in particular allows us to receive the gifts of younger people who have much to say and from whom we need to hear much,” he added, per The Times.
“Hear Us” formally opens on Oct. 17 and will remain in place until Jan. 18, 2026, so it will be removed before Mullally’s enthronement ceremony to install her as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury. The art installation is free to view.
According to The Independent, the cathedral worked with “marginalized communities” and a team of skilled artists to put together the installation. It is purposefully designed to contrast with the traditional ancient architecture in the church as a way to offer new interpretations of faith and worship.
Public responses to the art
“The everyday theological questions expressed in the art installation and the cathedral’s historic tradition of graffiti have not stopped some from expressing very strong reactions,” a spokesperson said in a press release on the work, per The Independent.
The Cathedral leadership has addressed the criticism of the new art installation, sharing that one visitor told them that they “think it’s sacrilegious.”
“It has split public opinion ahead of its official launch, with visitors reporting visceral reactions to the bold graffiti-style graphics and thought-provoking questions displayed on the ancient walls. While many have reported their delight and intrigue, others have been discomforted by encountering the artworks,” cathedral bosses said in a statement, per The Times.
They noted that the cathedral has been home to graffiti for centuries, pointing out that there are a host of images, crosses, initials and words that were scratched into the pillars and walls as long ago as 1667.
According to The Times, cathedral bosses added that there is a “great variety of historical graffiti within the cathedral, including masons’ marks, religious graffiti in the form of crosses and Christograms and marks made throughout the centuries by pilgrims and other visitors.”
A spokesperson for the cathedral shared that there have been some positive responses to the installation.
“Others, though, were quick to speak of their admiration for the installation, its artistry and emotional punch,” added the spokesperson, per The Independent.