Esther Hi’ilani Candari
THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2025 | 7:30-9:00 pm MDT
How do we wrestle with the cultural and theological implications of the way we depict Christ? How has generative image technology turbocharged the need to confront this wrestle?
WHERE:
Home of Ed and Kristen Iversen
3582 Oak Rim Way
Salt Lake City, UT 84109
Thanks to Kristen and Ed for hosting this gathering in their home.
THE CONVERSATION:
As a fine artist who often focuses on the intersection of gender, race, and religion in her work, Esther has spent most of her professional life considering and researching the implications of how we do or do not represent God, Christ, and other sacred and revered beings in Latter Day Saint, and broader Christian culture. The advent of AI image generation has added a layer of complexity to this conversation by highlighting and amplifying the biases in our current canon of images in addition to sparking questions about the role of authorship in religious imagery.
ABOUT ESTHER: 
Esther Hi’ilani Candari is a mixed media Asian American artist and educator from Hawai’i. She has an BFA from BYU-H, an MFA from Liberty University, and has studied at the New York Academy of Art. In addition to her studio work she is the Director of The Compass Gallery in Provo, curator of the ARTbook Series, serves as the art editor for Wayfare magazine, and serves on the Advisory Board for The Faith Matters Foundation. Currently, she lives in Utah County with her husband, two rescue dogs, a rescue dove and an ever-growing collection of houseplants.
EXPLORE BEFORE WE MEET:
Picturing Zion — Esther Candari at Restore
Savior of the World – A Conversation with Esther Candari and Faith Matters
Esther Hi’ilani Candari / Bruce Smith, Artful – Season 4, Episode 6
The Color of Christ: The Son of God and the Saga of Race in America
hiilanifinearts.com/post/is-the-2023-cfm-manual-diverse-and-inclusive
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE RECORDED CONVERSATION
I’m delighted those who can’t attend in person can join virtually. I’m sorry I can’t give you the same care and attention given to those in person. Please contact me if you have suggestions for improvement.
- Click on the Zoom link above for either last month’s recorded conversation (if the event date has passed) or the live conversation now. If you are participating in the live conversation keep reading.
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ZOOM ETIQUETTE:
- Please mute your microphone before entering and when you are not speaking so noises are not heard by everyone else.
- If you are going to multitask—not recommended—or wander around a lot, please turn off your video and make sure you are muted. No one wants to be distracted by you eating or using the loo.
