The exhibition follows Kiparis’ earlier project, A Time to Gather Stones, extending an ongoing investigation inspired by the verse from Ecclesiastes: “a time to gather stones together, and a time to cast away stones.” Rather than reading the passage as a metaphor for destruction, Kiparis reconsiders it as a call to action. The exhibition asks what faith means when history demands responsibility rather than passive hope, and whether ancient narratives can still offer ethical orientation in an age marked by war, displacement and political uncertainty.

Working exclusively on natural slices of onyx, agate, carnelian and other semi-precious minerals, Kiparis allows the geological structure of each stone to determine the image that emerges. Veins become rivers, fractures become landscapes and mineral formations evolve into figures and sacred scenes. The stone is not simply a surface on which to paint but an active collaborator—its millions of years of geological history becoming inseparable from the stories represented upon it.

Drawing on episodes from both the Old and New Testaments – including Sinai, Noah’s Flood, Abraham and Isaac, the Covenant, Jericho and the Resurrection – the exhibition unfolds as a visual journey through moments when human agency confronts divine command, catastrophe gives way to renewal and faith is tested by history. Rather than illustrating Scripture, Kiparis approaches these narratives as enduring structures through which contemporary experience may be understood.

A recurring motif throughout the exhibition is the image of cattle – oxen, cows and mules – which appear as witnesses rather than protagonists. In Christian tradition, these animals occupy a privileged place as silent observers of the Nativity. Kiparis reimagines them as symbols of innocence, asking how societies determine the value of life and how easily those boundaries shift according to politics, geography and ideology.

The choice of Brompton Cemetery Chapel is integral to the project. Known for creating exhibitions in architecturally and spiritually resonant sites, Kiparis responds to the chapel not as a neutral venue but as an extension of the work itself.

Curator Anzhela Popova frames the exhibition as an exploration of faith after certainty. Rather than proposing redemption as an abstract promise, A Time to Cast Away Stones considers faith as an ethical practice rooted in action, responsibility and the difficult work of remaining present within history.

At a moment when questions of violence, displacement and collective memory dominate public discourse, Kiparis’ exhibition offers neither political commentary nor religious illustration. Instead, it invites viewers into a slower encounter with stories that have shaped centuries of human thought, asking what they might still reveal about the present. Through an extraordinary synthesis of painting, geology and sacred text, A Time to Cast Away Stones proposes stone itself as a witness  – to history, to suffering and to the enduring possibility of renewal.

A Time to Cast Away Stones
Artist: Anna Kiparis
Curator: Anzhela Popova

Private View: Saturday, 29 August 2026 · 18:00–19:30

Join us for an evening of wine, bread, and an artist talk celebrating the exhibition.

Exhibition Dates: 29–31 August 2026
Opening Hours: 11:00–20:00
Venue: Brompton Cemetery Chapel, Fulham Road, London SW10 9UG

Artwork Catalogue

The catalogue will be updated. Works are available for purchase. This exhibition has been independently self-funded. Every artwork purchase directly supports Anna Kiparis’ artistic practice and helps make future exhibitions and new bodies of work possible.

Artist Talks: Daily, 29–31 August 2026, 18:00–18:30

Join Anna Kiparis for a guided conversation exploring the ideas, materials and biblical narratives behind A Time to Cast Away Stones, followed by an opportunity for audience questions.