Artwork unveiled for the new St Josephine Bakhita Catholic Primary School at Clyde North

Media Release

November 2024

Artwork unveiled for the new St Josephine Bakhita Catholic Primary School at Clyde North

A contemporary portrait depicting African Saint Josephine Bakhita has been unveiled for installation at the new St Josephine Bakhita Catholic Primary School set to open in Clyde North in January 2025.

A presentation was held at the school site on 22 November to receive the commissioned artwork from renowned Polish-German artist, Barbara Skorupa.

Fr Denis O’Bryan - Parish Priest of St Thomas the Apostle Parish, led a prayer to St Josephine Bakhita. He was joined by Fr Jithin Anto - Assistant Priest, Professor Gabrielle McMullen AM - Board Director of Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Ltd (DOSCEL), Mr Paul Velten - Director of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Sale, Mrs Kathryn Pepper - Foundation Principal, Mr Dermot Cannon - DOSCEL General Manager Infrastructure and Support Services, and members of the parish and school staff.

DOSCEL Board Director Professor McMullen said, “Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Ltd (DOSCEL) seeks to promote the Catholic identity of its schools. In securing this portrait for its new St Josephine Bakhita Catholic Primary School, DOSCEL seeks to introduce the school and wider community to St Josephine as a model of a faith-filled life.  Barbara Skorupa’s art is a powerful means of evangelisation for our times”.

“St Josephine Bakhita, the first saint from Sudan, Africa, overcame a harrowing past of slavery to find peace and purpose through her faith. St Josephine’s journey serves as inspiration for the school’s motto of Courage, Humility and Forgiveness.”

Artist, Barbara Skorupa, has created portraits of more than 120 women of faith from around the world. She is recognised for her contemporary Pop Art style that seeks to catch the eye and portray great iconic strength and timelessness in her subjects.  Her objective is to capture the ‘invisible’ - the woman’s inner attitude.

Principal, Kathryn Pepper said St Josephine Bakhita’s story of faith and perseverance serves as a guiding light for the school’s mission of nurturing an inclusive and welcoming educational environment.

Construction of the new St Josephine Bakhita Catholic Primary School is set to be completed this month. The school, located at 40 Wild Goose Way, Clyde North, will open with an initial enrolment of 120 students in January 2025 with further building stages planned to enable enrolments to eventually grow to 700.

More about the new school: www.sjbclydenorth.catholic.edu.au/.

The school is part of St Thomas the Apostle Catholic Parish, Clyde North and will provide access to Catholic education to families situated in the eastern area of the Parish. St Josephine Bakhita Catholic Primary School will be the 39th Catholic primary school in the Diocese of Sale and the second primary school in the Parish.

About the artwork:

Explanation of Colour Code in Image of Josephine Bakhita

·       Blue is the colour of the sky and water and is associated with the spiritual and with coolness. In many cultures, blue stands for peace and security.

·       Bakhita, the first saint of Sudan, became a Canossian Sister in Venice. Her bonnet is wrapped in five folds – the folds are also associated with slave chains.

·       Bakhita’s face is blue, an atypical colour, to reduce the distance to her person; thus, the person stands out. In other cultures, blue is associated with divine figures.

·       The background, yellow represents the warmth and sun of Africa and contrasts with the blue, achieving an intense and lively effect. For Bakhita’s Canossian Sister habit, the colour is black.

About the artist:

Barbara Skorupa MA was born in Poland in 1958 and has lived in Germany since 1985. Since Barbara’s childhood, painting has been her passion. After graduating with a master’s degree at the Institute of Fine Arts, University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland in 1982, she worked as an art teacher for these years prior to becoming a freelance artist. Initially, Barbara’s work focused on depicting objects from nature, however in 2013 she felt a calling to pivot her art toward vibrant portraits of holy, influential women, aiming to elevate their profiles in a society often swayed by celebrity culture. 

Barbara sought to capture the essence and contributions of these women, equalising their significance with others in various fields such as science, politics and the arts. Barbara embraced this new path, creating some 120 portraits of extraordinary women throughout history. Her works incorporate high colour contrast and dramatic styles, drawing inspiration from Andy Warhol's iconic Pop Art, particularly his portrayal of Marilyn Monroe. Barbara’s mission is to produce compelling images of these holy women that foster contemplation, enabling them to shine as models of inspiration. 

Media Inquiries:

DOSCEL Media and Communications team: 0437 563 469