Christabel Helena Anderson, PhD, 2022

Orthodox Iconographer

QEST Scholar, AG Leventis Scholar

Media: egg tempera and 24 carat gold leaf on wood panel; graphite pencil on artist's 100% cotton paper; soft pastel and gold leaf paint on grey-toned pastel paper.

Christabel is an iconographer, writer and teacher, specialising in Orthodox Christian icon painting, the development of Christian art, the early arts of Britain and Ireland, and traditional artistic methods and materials, especially gilding, paint making and painting techniques.
She creates egg tempera panel icons, miniature-painted icons and manuscript illumination on vellum using handmade watercolours, gold and gemstones. The work is created within the tradition of the Orthodox Church and the designs, methods and materials are inspired by sacred iconographic exemplars, ancient and contemporary. In recent years she has focussed on researching the iconography and theology of St Sophrony the Athonite.

After a BA degree at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) followed by many years of independent research, Christabel completed a Master’s degree and subsequently her PhD at The Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts where she now works as an adviser in the doctoral research department, in addition to continuing her artistic practice.