Raquel SanchezAnd with Fire You will Rebuild Jerusalem, 2023

Raquel Sanchez, And with Fire You will Rebuild Jerusalem

oil on canvas
80 × 100 cm (31 × 39 in)

About the Artwork

And with Fire You Will Rebuild Jerusalem is a powerful meditation on destruction, renewal, and the mysterious ways in which creation emerges from both intention and accident. Drawing inspiration from the traditional Jewish prayer that speaks of Jerusalem being rebuilt with divine fire, Raquel Sanchez transforms a chance occurrence into a profound visual reflection on faith, destiny, and redemption.

Continue reading

The painting itself was born unexpectedly. A newly opened tube of brilliant orange paint accidentally fell and burst open, releasing a flood of color across the studio floor. Rather than viewing the event as a mistake, Sanchez embraced it as an invitation. The spilled pigment became the catalyst for a work that explores one of the central spiritual questions of human existence: how much do we control, and how much are we called upon to trust a larger design unfolding beyond our understanding?

Radiant fields of orange, gold, amber, and luminous white dominate the composition, creating the impression of a landscape illuminated from within. The glowing horizon appears suspended between earth and heaven, while passages of shimmering light emerge from the surface like distant walls, mountains, or celestial structures. The painting's warmth suggests both fire and dawn—symbols of transformation, purification, and new beginnings.

Within the luminous atmosphere, forms seem to appear and disappear. Sanchez leaves space for ambiguity, allowing viewers to discover their own meanings. The glowing white passages may evoke the Walls of the Heavenly Jerusalem, waiting beyond the veil of history and time. The movement of light across the canvas suggests an unseen force gathering scattered fragments into a renewed center, preparing the foundations for spiritual rebuilding.

The work is deeply connected to the artist's lifelong exploration of faith and surrender. As reflected in her poetry, Sanchez recognizes that much of life unfolds beyond human planning. The "blanks" in our stories are often the places where transformation becomes possible. What appears accidental may become meaningful; what seems like loss may contain the seeds of renewal. The painting becomes a visual expression of trust in a process larger than oneself.

Both contemplative and hopeful, And with Fire You Will Rebuild Jerusalem speaks not only of the rebuilding of a city, but of the rebuilding of spirit. Through radiant color, atmospheric light, and symbolic landscape, Sanchez offers a vision of redemption emerging from uncertainty, reminding us that even unexpected events may become instruments of creation.

 29,750

In stock

Email