Bristol artist creates work at Saint Stephen's Church

These are the damaged Victorian tin panels that Graeme will be replacing

A Bristol artist and practicing Buddhist has been chosen to create a permanent altar piece for a city centre church.

Graeme Mortimer Evelyn - one of the founding members of Jamaica Street Artists - was approached by the priest of Saint Stephen's Church to produce a series of permanent relief panels.

Graeme spoke to BBC Radio Bristol's Sunday Starts programme and told Glyn Johnson all about the project.

"The work was commissioned on the back of the work that I did for Gloucester Cathedral," he said.

"I was commissioned to do the Stations of the Cross in 2006 - it was very successful and [was] received very well.

"The Dean of Gloucester Cathedral then asked for it to go back in 2007.

This work by Graeme is one of Saint Stephen's approved designs

"Since then it's always been exhibited during Lent."

Graeme will be creating a permanent sculpture at Saint Stephen's, which will replace some of the church's current Victorian tin work which has corroded beyond repair.

He was approached to do the job by the Reverend Canon Tim Higgins, Bristol's City Canon who is a residentiary canon of Bristol Cathedral.

"[Canon Higgins] suggested would I like to replace the panels of the Reredos for the altar piece in Saint Stephen's and obviously I jumped at the chance," Graeme said.

"It's such an honour to do that and also a huge responsibility because it's permanent [and] has to speak for generations."

The work is due to be unveiled in December 2010 and Graeme admits that "there's still a long way to go".

"The work itself I thought 'ok, I'm just replacing the panels of the altar piece'," he said.

"Actually what I'm commissioned to do is contemporise three materials - the stain glass above it [and] the stonework, with the panels, so they all work together.

"But it has to be contemporary art work, it can not be a Victorian replacement.

"The work is obviously about reconciliation and reconnection - reconnecting the church to its city centre and also to the name of the church, Saint Stephen's, being the first Christian martyr."

Saint Stephen's is one of the oldest churches in Bristol

So how does a practising Buddhist balance creating these kind of pieces?

"It's a journey for me," added Graeme. "An inspiring journey for me."

The most important thing that I've learnt from it is the gift and value of dialogue and how important it is to feel open about your faith.

"[And] to have a dialogue that all parties can understand, empathise and sympathise with and learn from.

"So, for me, [it's] that journey of seeing and finding all the similarities and bridging them together into a kind of visual work the anyone would be able to understand."

Saint Stephen's is one of the oldest churches in Bristol, located in the centre of the city where the quayside used to meet at its door and the ships were moored nearby.

The Reconciliation Reredos is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund South West.