Encountering Biblical Bodies: Sarah Lightman’s Biblical Women

As part of the Centre for Biblical Studies’ CIDRAL-funded programme of events entitled Encountering Biblical Bodies, we are pleased to host works from artist Sarah Lightman’s Biblical Domestic and Menstrual Hystery series in the Samuel Alexander Glass Corridor.

In these paintings, biblical heroines trade halos for housework and divine serenity for the messy reality of ageing bodies, menopause, and domestic labour. Working primarily in vibrant watercolours, Lightman reimagines figures like Judith, Mary, and Eve battling hot flushes, cluttered kitchens, and midlife. Rooted in the feminist Jewish tradition of midrash, these works fill in the biblical silences: the thoughts, struggles, and bodily truths left out of the male-dominated canon. With wit, irreverence, and deep empathy, Lightman asks what happens when we stop hiding ageing bodies and start painting the parts we were never told.

This event is an opportunity to view the exhibition and to hear Sarah Lightman in conversation with members of The University of Manchester’s Centre for Biblical Studies and visiting speaker Dr Dawn Llewellyn (Chester).

Accessibility
We want to make the event a positive experience for all participants. If you have particular access needs, please let us know in advance by providing details of any accessibility needs when registering for your ticket or by emailing us at [email protected].

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Info: Sarah Lightman in conversation with Dawn Llewellyn (University of Chester), Siobhan Jolley (The University of Manchester)
and Holly Morse (The University of Manchester).

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