Year 10 Religion & Ethics – Reimagining Gospel Stories
Year 10 students have been exploring how Gospel stories can continue to offer “moral, ethical and spiritual insights that resonate with the complexities of contemporary life.” As part of their assessment, students planned and created storytelling experiences designed for young people, using a range of storytelling mediums and artforms to bring ancient stories into modern contexts.
Macy Durrand created a hand-built clay vase reimagining the Road to Emmaus in a local
Tablelands setting. In her artist statement, she explained:
My work is a contemporary retelling of the Road to Emmaus, set in the Tablelands and shown through the journey three teenagers. It explores the idea that connection, recognition and faith can appear in ordinary moments and familiar places. By handbuilding the clay vase and painting the scene onto it, I created a symbolic link between the earth, the past and the present.
The figures walking together reflect the idea of walking with faith, even when the path ahead is uncertain. The story of Jesus walking alongside the disciples is still relevant today, as it reminds us that hope, guidance and meaning can be found in our everyday journeys, even when we do not immediately recognise it. This piece suggests that faith is not limited to the past, but continues to walk with us each day.
Yanna Spadina reimagined the story of Jesus Calming the Storm through a contemporary painting inspired by a real event in the Philippines. She wrote:
My storytelling project reimagines the story of ‘Jesus Calms the Storm’ by modernising it and creating a painting that resonates with today’s audience. I focused on the strong contrast of hope and calmness amid chaos through shape, detail, light and colour.
The characters in the painting draw clear symbolic links to the Gospel: The first girl represents Jesus, and the little girl represents the disciples, and the dove flying in the light is God. The first girl is not afraid, as she sees that there is still hope and she knows that God is with her through everything, even in difficult times.
The painting is inspired by a true event, when an earthquake hit Cebu in the Philippines recently. The main message I wanted to convey was not to be negative about difficult times but to find hope and trust in God.
Thank you Macy and Yanna for sharing your inspiring artworks with our college community.
