KOCHI: Driving home the message of gender neutrality and recognizing the equal responsibilities of both the father and the mother in parenthood, the recently unveiled sculpture of the Holy Family at St Mary's Church, Peringottukara in Thrissur, shows St Joseph cradling baby Jesus in his arms as Mother Mary takes well-deserved rest.
In a different take from the usual portrayal of the Holy family, where Mary holds infant Jesus and Joseph stands beside them, this sculpture poignantly depicts gender neutrality, representing the equal responsibilities of both the parents in taking care of a baby.
The sculptor, KK George, a native of Mullassery, said that Fr Tony Vazhappily, vicar of the church, had drawn inspiration from the Pope's proclamation dedicating last year to St Joseph. "The sculpture gains relevance as topics like gender equality and equal responsibilities of the father in the upbringing of a child, which is globally being discussed nowadays, have been represented," said George.
Over the past 29 years, George has been engaged in sculpting statues and figures for various religious institutions, including churches, not only in Kerala alone but outside the state as well. He has crafted over 500 sculptures at various places. "The sculpture was completed in December last year and had taken about one month from start to finish. My work has not been limited to within the state alone - I have taken up assignments in other states and UTs too, including Puducherry, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana," said George.
Earlier, a similar sculpture was erected at St Mary's Church, Kakkaserry, in Thrissur district, about four years back. "In our present scenario, the sculpture gives a very important message to society. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words - this sculpture communicates a thousand words as well," said a parishioner belonging to St Mary's Church.