The Cross

Is a cross, by itself, a work of art? Like a temple, a mosque or a church, the cross began as something other than art. It is one of humanity’s oldest symbols: a sign of faith, suffering, hope and redemption. For millions of people it is not an aesthetic object but a sacred one.

Yet the cross is also a remarkably powerful form. Its simple geometry has inspired painters, sculptors and architects for centuries. Once removed from its purely religious function, it becomes an abstract structure that can carry countless new meanings.

In Femke Hoyng’s crosses, the symbol is not questioned but expanded. Hand-built in clay, covered with gold and transformed into small shrines, they bring together different spiritual traditions. A Buddha may stand where Christ is expected; emptiness can be as significant as presence. The works do not ask which religion is true. They ask whether faith, beauty and human longing might share the same space.

The cross remains recognizable, but its meaning is no longer fixed. It becomes a vessel for reflection rather than certainty. In that transformation, a universal symbol becomes contemporary art.