About this Event
ONCE UPON A GOSPEL is a contemporary art exhibition taking place on 5&6 December at The Chapel on Elmtree, a historic chapel in Marylebone, central London. Bringing together fairy tales, precious stones, sculptural metalwork and light, the exhibition invites visitors into a world where ancient folklore meets contemporary art in the atmospheric setting of a historic sacred space.
At the heart of the project is a question: what might familiar fairy tales reveal if we approached them without the filter of Christianity? Drawing inspiration from seven well-known fairy tales, the exhibition explores the mysterious forces, transformations and encounters that shape these stories — while tracing unexpected connections between their worlds and Christian narratives. Presented in the run-up to Christmas, it offers a space to reflect on miracles, faith, kindness, beauty, and the enduring power of stories to help us make sense of human experience.
Developed by London-based artist Anna Kiparis in collaboration with artist and architect Anastasia Linovich, ONCE UPON A GOSPEL brings together two distinctive artistic practices and two unconventional materials: stone and metal. Anna creates intricately painted illustrations directly on natural gemstones, allowing each stone’s colours, patterns and contours to become part of the image. Rather than treating the stone as a surface to be covered, she works with its natural character, discovering the story hidden within it.
Anastasia transforms sheets of steel into sculptural forms using a technique she developed through her work with metal. These folded and bent structures frame Anna’s painted stones, evoking the ornamental metal covers of Orthodox icons while remaining strikingly contemporary. Light catches the irregular surfaces of the steel and the depths of the stones, bringing each work to life as a unique meeting of painting, sculpture and material.
The exhibition will transform the chapel into an intimate, otherworldly environment in which the artworks become encounters with stories that feel at once ancient and unexpectedly close to us. The historic setting adds another layer to the project, bringing folklore and contemporary artistic practice into dialogue with a space traditionally associated with faith, contemplation and the possibility of miracles.
By purchasing a ticket, you are directly supporting two independent artists and helping bring ONCE UPON A GOSPEL to life. Your contribution will help cover the cost of stones, steel and other materials, as well as specialist workshop services needed to realise the artworks and installations.
More than simply visiting an exhibition, you are becoming part of a creative collaboration that brings folklore and faith into dialogue through natural materials and contemporary imagination. Thank you for helping us make this project possible!
As Christmas and New Year approach, we return to stories of miracles, gifts, faith and kindness. We invite you to be part of ours.
Event venue & nearby stays
2 Welbeck St, 2 Welbeck Street, London, United Kingdom
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