The Chosen
Crystal Virginia Despain
- Medium
United States
ca. 2019
Oil on linen
“I now believe faith to be what one has left when all else feels corruptible,” said Despain. Faith is “that choice to stay and serve and cling to those quiet whisperings and moments of light that still manage to defy every maddening struggle for comprehension.”
Looking for a subject while searching deeply for personal discernment, Despain chose a girl with a flower to communicate the process of belief. The flower is “brighter than the rest, yet did it look so different in nature?” Her expression captures her peaceful resolve. That is how Despain feels when she blocks out distractions, extras, doubts, and frustrations, “baring down to protect those deepest places of testimony, whether they be many or few, weak or strong. This is faith; this is holy communion. This isn’t a girl and her flower; this is a daughter of God and her decision to believe.”