100sqft questioned the artist about the inclusion of his 2 Swastika based pieces, prior to accepting the pieces for this exhibition. We understand the sensitivity of the subject and present the following article from the Jewish Chronicle and a statement by artist Colin Hampden-White explaining his use of the imagery.

Link to article from the Jewish Chronicle regarding these pieces

"These two images are the first in a series which explores religion as a major cause of war and persecution throughout the world.

‘White Host’ highlights, in the literal sense of “bringing to light” against a stark, black background, the persecution of the Christian faith by the Nazis during World War II, an issue which history has sometimes marginalised in the context of the scale of the horror of the genocide of European Jews. The image simultaneously alludes to the alleged silence of Pope Pius XII during the Nazi persecution of the Jews.

The second image, ‘Black Host’, emphasises the significance of race within this conflict and hints at a re-evaluation of the Holocaust as a programme of Nazi-sponsored extermination which transcended the confines of the Jewish community, targeting Christians and non-whites alike. It also plays on the “black and white morality” trope of pure good versus absolute evil which is frequently engendered in religious, as well as popular, consciousness.

Successive images in this series will make use of the flags of countries with a record of persecuting various religions including, for example, the Christians in Pakistan, or, at the less notorious end of the scale, Muslims in Switzerland". Colin Hampden-White

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