Faith

Humanity is a story of faith--but what does faith mean, and what does it look like? Award-winning author, poet, and podcaster Derek Owusu offers a personal reflection on his experiences with faith and the many forms it takes in art

Faith is a subject that has shaped the art world in Britain for as long as it has existed. The walls of Tate’s galleries exhibit paintings like John Martin’s The Last Judgement and The Great Day of His Wrath--both dramatic scenes that foretell apocalyptic destruction and biblical catastrophe. But faith can also exist in the small tender glimpses of hope, of love, and joy. Responding to works in Britain’s national collection of art, from Frank Holl to Agostino Brunias, Look Again: Faith is a powerful meditation on the presence and meaning of belief in art. Look Again is a new series of short books from Tate Publishing, opening up the conversation about British art over the last 500 years, and exploring what art has to tell us about our lives today. Written by leading voices from the worlds of literature, art, and culture, each book sheds new light on some of the most well-known, best-loved and thought-provoking artworks in the national collection, and asks us to look again.

Derek Owusu is a writer, poet, and podcaster from north London. Derek edited and contributed to Safe: On Black British Men Reclaiming Space. That Reminds Me, his first solo work, won the Desmond Elliott Prize 2020. His second novel, Losing the Plot, was published in 2022 and is longlisted for the Jhalak Prize 2023.