FR FRANS CLAERHOUT OMI Artist, priest and lover of humankind. “Love alone can understand religion. And religion is not only the church; it is life.” “ If you catch the sun, you will never die. What is the sun? It is love and warmth.” Fr Claerhout.

The theology of this world famous artist is brought to life with the bright, warm colours of the Free State people, their lives, loves, struggles and environment on canvas. The artist’s eye beholds the inner beauty of the people he encounters, which he experiences as a reflection of the God of love, and he transposes this onto his canvas. He does this often with a comical and humorous twist, but always with a sensitivity that enables the onlooker to behold the dignity and innate goodness of the subject.

“ Human beings gain a capacity for truth within. The more human you are, the closer to God you are.”

Although Fr Frans Claerhout is already 87 years old, he is ready and willing to engage in reflections on life issues and commit his inspiration to canvas. His deep love and passion for children is evident in this series of original paintings for Caritas South Africa. The mischievous glint in his eye when approached, dissolved all our hesitancy and he embraced the subject with the life-giving spirit so characteristic of all his life and work. For Fr Claerhout, children are like flowers, they “are a display and blessing of nature. Many dreams and longings are born in their soul. They stay there and flower there.”

Fr Frans Claerhout – world-renowned, sought–after, and highly-prized artist – chose to live in the remote rural areas of the Free State and just as God became incarnate in a humble stable, Fr Clarehout elevated the humble huts and life style of the local people to that of ‘chosen people’ by his living in solidarity with them and awakening in them their dignity as children of God. Through his ‘being’ and ‘creativity’ he enabled others to realize their status as co-creators with God in the plan of salvation.

Art galleries, Universities, Art Books abound with Fr Frans’ acclaimed works and anyone who owns one of his paintings knows that he owns a small fortune. However, Fr Frans himself sits contentedly, unencumbered by any of the trappings of fame and wealth. He radiates such joy and pride when he talks about what others have managed to achieve – the churches and chapels ‘they’ have built; the students who have developed their gifts and have become credible artists in their own right; the bursaries that have enabled young people to pursue careers in many different fields and contribute to the upliftment of society—but in reality, they have done so because he chose to share his God-given gifts, resources and encouragement so that “others might have life and have it in it’s fullness”

Fr Frans Claerhout is a model and a challenge to all of us of the Gospel of Life and Love.

We are deeply indebted to him and through this series of paintings, we trust that each of us will be inspired to imitate this ‘Man of God’ – a ‘Man for all People’.

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