A Falmouth University graduate will be exploring inner contemplation rather than outward landscapes in his fourth exhibition, to be held in a Penzance church around Easter.

St Mary’s Church will be hosting CRUX, the fourth solo exhibition by Feargal Shiels, from Friday, April 7, as the latest in its SparK - Spirituality and Arts - programme.

Feargal’s three previous exhibitions, LITTORAL – Coastal Explorations on Paper, BOSCUS and RUS, all took place at Circa 21 gallery in Penzance. With CRUX, he moves to a more site-specific approach inspired by the stations of the cross at St Mary’s and by the timing of the show, which centres on Good Friday.

Some of the works continue the exploration of the local landscape that began in the earlier shows, but the focus this time round is on a contemplative journey that takes its most distinctive expression in a cluster of works on both paper and canvas in which Feargal has transcribed passages from the Bible and from the traditional descriptions of the fourteen Stations of the Cross.

He said: “As this show is going out at Easter, I decided to spend Lent writing and rewriting the Stations of the Cross – not as a religious act but as a meditative exercise.

“With each successive rewriting as the work progressed, the shapes of the letters and words became increasingly indistinct, developing into beautiful and enigmatic images that are impossible to read, although still recognisable as script, if not scripture.”

The results, like any writing or drawing, act as a record of an examination of a subject; read as abstract images, they can provoke further musings on meaning or stand as a focal point for reflection and contemplation.

The landscape drawings and paintings in ink, graphite, oil and acrylic that also form part of the show adhere to a similar personal mark-making code, drawing each successive image out of a conglomeration of repeated observations and often combining several scenes on a single sheet.

St Mary's SparK worker Helen Brandt said: “We’re thrilled to have Feargal’s work kicking off our exhibition season for 2017, which will be extended this year and run right through to December, with over 10 individual and shared exhibitions.

“We’ll be featuring a variety of work from both emerging and established artists, both local and from further afield. We’re also very excited to be joining the Open Studios Cornwall programme this year and featuring Suzi Stephens as artist in residence.”

CRUX will be at St Mary’s Church on Chapel Street in Penzance from April 7 to 20, Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 2pm Tues-Sat.