Order includes:

• high-res image file formatted for print

• high-res image file formatted for web/projection

• A PDF of the artist's statement & scripture reference for the visual

• A visio divina Bible Study Guide for you to use this image in a group study session that incorporates the ancient Benedictine spiritual practice of "divine seeing."

Credit Info:

When printing and sharing online, please always include the following credits:
Artist's name | A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org

FROM THE ARTIST:

When I was a child, my mother used to give my older sister and I this unibraid down our backs. She was never particularly good at doing our hair. We always had flyaways and little bits of frizz at our edges accompanied by our bright big smiles on picture day. I always wondered why my braid was never smooth and long like hers.

It wasn’t long until I started braiding my own hair. At the tender age of nine I would spend hours in the bathroom staring at myself in the mirror with two hands to heaven. Braids would become a staple in my haircare routine. The more I did my own, the more I noticed others’ braids as well. I would learn to appreciate our shared kinship. Our braids were our ancestors, our heritage, and our culture. Our designs were our creativity and our individuality. Braids bind us in ways that go beyond the physical—we are forever entwined.

Ruth and Naomi find themselves bound by their widowhood and familial grief. And while Orpah made the choice to return to her village, Ruth bound herself to her mother-in-law: “Where you go, I will go.” They too have spiritual connections that are deeper than the surface. The two of them are connected through a simple braid; they are also reaching for each other from opposing sides of the braid (in the middle of the canvas). This piece conveys several different forms of connection over a blanket of decorative textiles quilted together. Binding Braids continues a whimsical fantasy I incorporated in a former work, Lift Off.2 These are sister pieces meant to invite the audience into an otherworldly, fluid space for biblical wonderment.

—Rev. Nicolette Peñaranda