“My dream is to become a painter of images that lead to prayerful experiences for those who see them, now and on into the future,” he says.

IN A CHAPEL in Chelsea, west London, a Tibetan six-armed mahakala is sharing an exhibition with a Taoist-inspired painting of the birth of life, a mosque window and an icon of Christ on the cross. If there’s a more cross-faith event in London at the moment, I’d be sur prised: it’s humbling and awe-inspiring to see such an array of intricately worked, colourful and thought-provoking pieces from Tibetan, Taoist, Islamic, Christian and Baha’i traditions. What’s even more surprising is that these are all contemporary works. It’s the annual degree show of the School of Traditional Arts (Garrison Chapel, Chelsea; to 1 August), a college that teaches its students about the theoretical knowledge that underpins ancient and his torical art forms, before they go on to use that knowledge to create new works.

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