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'Speaking in Tongues' on display at Cathedral

'Speaking in Tongues' at Cathedral Credit: Chichester Cathedral

A large scale work by acclaimed artist Paul Benney has gone on display at Chichester Cathedral.

'Speaking in Tongues' is one of his largest and most ambitious works to date measuring 8ft by 12ft - and suspended mid-air with an accompanying sound installation.

Paul Benney is one of the country's leading portrait artists and has painted many prominent cultural and political figures including The Queen and Mick Jagger. But he's also known for his depictions of mythological themes. His work has been displayed in galleries and collections in America and across the UK.

‘Speaking in Tongues’ was inspired by the "strange and powerful" story of Pentecost, where the apostles suddenly have a direct personal experience of God.

The sound installation is a first for the artist, created especially for the Chichester exhibition, features a multitude of monologues.

I feel that the message embedded in the work; of spiritual inclusion across a multitude of cultural and religious practices can be seen as a key issue of our times’

– Paul Benney, artist