Serena Ingham Celebrates 800 Years of Canticle of the Creatures in Rome

To mark the 800th anniversary of the Canticle of the Creatures, composed by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1224, a two-day exhibition by Italian-Irish artist Serena Ingham opens at the Collegio di S. Isidoro a Capo le Case in Rome on October 4 and 5. The show features 18 works divided into two sections. The first section honors the Canticle with eight watercolors depicting each creature evoked by Saint Francis, plus two icons: one inspired by Psalm 148 titled "Praise to God from All Creatures," and a one-meter-high Crocifisso di San Damiano, a key symbol of the Franciscan mission. A delicate pencil portrait of Saint Francis closes this section. The second section celebrates Irish spirituality, heir to the Franciscan message, with drawings in white pencil on colored paper enriched with real gold, portraying key figures and patron saints of Ireland. Ingham, trained as an art restorer and specialized in Byzantine sacred iconography, blends classical heritage with contemporary sensibility. Her Atelier d'arte Serena Ingham produces sacred works in oil, drawing, and religious iconography. The exhibition offers a contemporary reading of the Franciscan message through sacred art.