Father, Son and the Holy War
Father, Son and the Holy War/ Отца, сина и свещената война
Schmincke oils on canvas, 74 x 53 cm, Anton Terziev, 2024
Photo: © the artist
Courtesy the author
Title credit: Svetoslav Todorov - writer, editor, correspondent
Collaborating since 2019
Part of No Time For Losers series of drawings, object, photography and paintings (2019-)
Courtesy the artist
Photo the artist
used material: Christ Pantocrator of Saint Catherine's Monastery is one of the oldest Byzantine religious icons, dating from the 6th century AD
Горната картина стъпва върху централен детайл от иконата Христос Вседържител, (Пантократор) в манастира "Св. Екатерина" в Синай, Египет - най-старото изображение, оцеляло от иконоборческия период през VI в. Причината да преинача образа е, че в моите очи Христос носи ореола на съвременен MMA боец - едновременно самопожертвователен, но и част от кървав спектакъл. Може би нуждата да го видя боеца в него , не е само моя. За да подчертая и направя това припознаване видимо добавих деформираните уши. Така наречените борчески, или счупени уши (cauliflower ears), характерни за спортисти, които практикуват контактни спортове или смесени бойни изкуства. Дори само те са достатъчни да датират работата ми към днешния ден, в който всяка една война има „свещен “ характер, а битките за (християнски) хуманизъм изглеждат все повече като загубена, съответно още по-необходима кауза. Тази картина също така, визуално и смислово обединява два мои цикъла творби – Метаканон (2005-2014) и No Time For Losers (2019-)
The above painting is based on a central detail of the icon of Christ the All-bearing, (Pantocrator) in the Monastery of St. Catherine of Sinai, Egypt, the oldest surviving image from the iconoclastic period of the 6th century. The reason I reinterpret the image is that in my eyes Christ wears the halo of a modern MMA fighter - both self-sacrificing but also part of a bloody spectacle. Maybe the need to see the fighter in him , is not just mine. To emphasize and make this recognition visible I added the deformed ears. So called wrestling, or broken ears (cauliflower ears), typical of athletes who practice contact sports or mixed martial arts. Even these alone are enough to date my work to the present day, where every war has a "sacred" character, and the battles for (Christian) humanity seem more and more like a lost, and therefore even more necessary, cause. This painting also, visually and meaningfully, unites two of my cycles of work - Metacanon (2005-2014) and No Time For Losers (2019-)
Anton Terziev’s *Father, Son and the Holy War* offers a striking reinterpretation of the renowned 6th-century icon of Christ Pantocrator from the Monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai. By transposing an ancient sacred image into the realm of modern spectacle and conflict, Terziev at once affirms the icon’s deep historical roots and pushes its significance into the contemporary moment.
The original Christ Pantocrator at St. Catherine’s stands as a seminal artifact of early Byzantine art, surviving the iconoclastic debates that questioned the very legitimacy of depicting the divine. This painting, one of the earliest known representations of Christ, anchors Terziev’s work within a lineage of devout veneration, theological discourse, and artistic tradition. The frontal composition, symmetrical facial features, and the all-encompassing halo are classic hallmarks of Eastern Orthodox iconography, visually communicating Christ’s role as both sovereign judge and compassionate savior.
Where Terziev’s vision diverges from tradition is in his decision to interpret Christ’s halo as akin to the glare of a modern MMA ring or fighter’s headgear. This audacious choice places Christ in the role of a combatant—someone both self-sacrificing and immersed in a “bloody spectacle.” The addition of cauliflower ears, a telling hallmark of contact-sport athletes, serves as a tangible link to the contemporary world. Terziev’s Christ is not solely the icon of serene divinity; he becomes a gritty, present-day figure who bears the marks of struggle. These disfigurements further “date” the image to our era, reminding viewers that conflict, whether physical or ideological, is perpetually recast as “holy” in the modern sphere.
While Terziev’s earlier exploration of this subject matter appeared in pencil drawing, *Father, Son and the Holy War* is executed in oil paint—a medium that imparts a layered, tactile presence. The textured application of paint, visible brushstrokes, and vibrant hues evoke both the physicality of battle-scarred flesh and the reverence inherent in traditional icons. This sense of material depth resonates with the tactile nature of early Christian images, which were objects of veneration and ritual, rather than mere representations. By embracing the heavier, more sculptural qualities of oil, Terziev amplifies the emotional intensity and underscores the painting’s link to centuries of liturgical practice.
Terziev’s painting also bridges two major cycles within his artistic practice:
- **Metacanon (2005–2014):** This body of work interrogates canonical images and texts, reconfiguring them for contemporary reflection. In *Father, Son and the Holy War*, the direct quotation of the Christ Pantocrator icon reaffirms Terziev’s fascination with enduring symbols and the ways in which they can be reinterpreted across time.
- **No Time For Losers (2019–):** This more recent series delves into the modern preoccupation with victory, defeat, and the spectacle of competition. The painted Christ’s cauliflower ears and fighter’s halo directly reference the cultural obsession with conflict, performance, and physical endurance, thereby crystallizing the notion that even sacred struggles can be reduced to a form of contemporary “arena.”
By merging these two cycles, Terziev orchestrates a powerful commentary on how tradition and modernity collide. The “holy war” of centuries past is reframed as an unending struggle for spiritual, moral, and existential validation in the 21st century.
Terziev’s Christ stands at the nexus of the ancient and the modern, the holy and the profane. He evokes the tension between peaceful sacrifice and violent confrontation, highlighting how societies—past and present—consecrate warfare through religious rhetoric. The haunting gaze that has defined Christ Pantocrator for generations is here imbued with a new urgency, reminding viewers that devotion and conflict often occupy the same cultural space.
This painting also raises questions about how we perceive and experience the sacred in a contemporary context dominated by spectacle. In referencing MMA, Terziev points to a phenomenon where physical aggression, commercial entertainment, and communal ritual blend into a single performance. Christ, reimagined with the scars of modern warfare and sport, becomes a figure of empathy and provocation, challenging viewers to confront the very idea of “holy” battles in an age of global conflict.
*Father, Son and the Holy War* is a deeply provocative and visually arresting oil painting that weaves together centuries of Christian iconography with the raw intensity of modern combat sports. By layering ancient symbolism with contemporary imagery, Anton Terziev engages in a rich, critical dialogue about sacrifice, spectacle, and the timeless quest for redemption. This work—standing at the crossroads of the *Metacanon* and *No Time For Losers* series—underscores how easily sacred ideals can merge with the modern world’s fascination for both violence and victory. Terziev’s reimagined Pantocrator thus emerges as a potent metaphor for our ongoing struggles, both spiritual and earthly, and the persistent human desire to find holiness amid conflict.