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January 27, 2026A Tucson Catholic artist is sharing sacred iconography with an international audience through an exhibition in London. Karen Melnychuck is exhibiting her work at the King’s Gallery in the Garrison Chapel in Chelsea, London, through January 23, 2026. The free public exhibition marks her international debut and reflects the culmination of her three-year formation in iconography.
The exhibition, which opened December 15, is hosted by the King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts, an institution dedicated to preserving traditional artistic practices. Melnychuck completed her studies there under master iconographer Aidan Hart.
Among the works featured in the exhibition is Melnychuck’s festal icon of the Nativity, presented as a triptych. The work emphasizes the Holy Family as the foundation of faith and the domestic church and reflects her effort to develop a distinctly Catholic expression within the iconographic tradition. Melynchuck is a parishioner at Saint Thomas the Apostle in Tucson.
“While iconography is often associated with Orthodoxy, there is a strong and relevant Catholic ethos within the tradition,” Melnychuck said. “My hope is that Catholics, alongside our Orthodox brothers and sisters, can use these icons to grow more deeply in their faith.”
Iconography is a prayerful and demanding discipline governed by theological principles passed down for centuries. Melnychuck began her formal training at age 59, traveling from Arizona to England for several weeks each year. Between study sessions, she made pilgrimages to sites connected to the saints she depicted, including Rome, Iona, and Whithorn, Scotland.
“In each icon she paints, she seeks to make visible what is unseen: the radiant, uncreated light of God,” Melnychuck said. The gold used in iconography represents this uncreated light and is intended to emanate from the icon, revealing divine presence rather than earthly illumination.
Before focusing on iconography, Melnychuck studied fine arts and art education at the Pratt Institute and later worked in museum education with institutions including MoMA PS1 and the Guggenheim Museum.
Those interested in her work may contact Melnychuck directly at [email protected]. She also shares her iconography on Instagram at @kmelnychuck. Melnychuck plans to share information about her upcoming website and future exhibitions with those who inquire, and local viewers may also request to see her work by appointment.
Following the Garrison Chapel exhibition, one of her icons of Saint Brendan will be displayed at L. Cornelissen & Son, near the British Museum, through February 10, 2026.
For the Diocese of Tucson, Melnychuck’s work highlights how sacred art formed locally can serve as a witness of faith on a global stage.