Xenia Nikolskaya – Plastic Jesus

Review by Hans Hickerson ·

Dropping jaws do not make noise, and neither do smiles. If they did, you would be able to hear people looking at Xenia Nikolskaya’s Plastic Jesus.

Nikolskaya’s book is a collection of photos of religiously-themed merchandise interspersed with interior views of Egyptian Coptic Christian monasteries. In her photographs the objects are surrounded by and float in black space that isolates them and makes them stand out. It also brings out their bold, often surprising colors.

All kinds of religiously-branded everyday items appear. Refrigerator magnets, key chains, a phone case, a mug, a pen, a bracelet, a cushion, a pencil holder. Coptic saints and priests appear on them in lifelike photographs – Mennas of Egypt, Abba Bishoy, Mother Joanna, Pope Kyrillos, Saint Bishay of the Red Monastery, and Saint Philomena the Wonder-Worker.

In her introduction, Nikolskaya mentions how these artifacts blew her mind. They had a similar effect on me, particularly objects that you wouldn’t necessarily associate with religion. A Christ on the Cross LED lightbulb. A Father Abdel Messih El Manahry snow globe keychain. A Saint Abanoub nail clipper and bottle opener. A Jesus, Mary, and Saints Rubik’s cube. The Father Mina of Abboud pillow is pretty cool too, and so are the Jesus face watches and the red faux-fur Father Faltaous El Souriany and Saint Wanas pencil holder.

Move over JFK, Abe Lincoln, and Elvis. Make way for Coptic kitsch.

After you gawk at them, however, you realize that to Coptic Christian eyes they may not be tacky or disrespectful. They may be genuine, sincere, cherished symbols of faith.

That’s the fascinating thing about comparing cultures. One culture’s up is another culture’s down. One culture’s smelly cheese is another culture’s gourmet treat. One culture’s kitsch is another culture’s sacred sentiment.

You have got to be grateful for independent-minded photographers who follow their curiosity off the beaten path, who explore their passion, show us something new, and enrich us all with their discoveries. That is what Xenia Nikolskaya has done in Plastic Jesus. What can you say? Thanks for sharing, Xenia Nikolskaya!

Hans Hickerson, Editor of the PhotoBook Journal, is a photographer and photobook artist from Portland, Oregon.

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Xenia Nikolskaya – Plastic Jesus

Photographer: Xenia Nikolskaya (Russian-Swedish, born 1973, lives in Cairo)

Language: English

Texts: Xenia Nikolskaya, Adam Makary

Design: eyen design

Printing: Livonia Print, Latvia

Soft-touch printed hardcover; 55 photographs; sewn binding; 80 pages; 7.5 x 9.5 inches; ISBN: 978-3-7356-1022-5

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Articles and photographs published in the PhotoBook Journal may not be reproduced without the permission of the PhotoBook Journal staff and the photographer(s). All images, texts, and designs are under copyright by the authors and publishers.