The Apocalypse in the burial crypt. The murals by Joanna Piech and Roman Kalarus in the vaults of Katowice Cathedral

Abstract

The burial crypt of the bishops of Katowice located in the vaults of the Silesian Cathedral was decorated in 2017 with murals inspired by the message of the final book of Holy Scripture, the Apocalypse of John. The authors of the project and its executors are the Katowice artists Joanna Piech and Roman Kalarus. The Apocalypse heralds the coming of God’s reign, symbolised by the image of the New Jerusalem laid out on the central wall of the crypt. Other representations refer to the dramatic events preceding the final victory of God. The mural is another monumental project by those artists for church interiors. As in their earlier works, they used their own artistic experience: Piech – as a graphic artist, Kalarus – as a poster artist. Formally, the expression of the representation is conveyed through a strong colour palette. The artists used primary colours with deep saturation. The power of expression is strengthened by downright aggressive colour contrasts. Undoubtedly, the Katowice murals are an important example of contemporary wall painting in church space.