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AN EXHIBITION of sculptures and paintings on religious themes has opened at St Michael's College, Llandaff.

The artist, Reverend Toddy Hoare, uses a mixture of mediums to explore spirituality and sexuality in the Bible.

Rev Hoare said: "Much of my work draws on the Scriptures to tease out feeling rather than be mere illustration, so we resonate better with our book.

"I like to draw on the Old Masters and use their work as my own figurative sketches or follow a theme of variations in their work," he added.

Finding the sculptures is a bit like being on a scavenger hunt, as they are randomly dotted around the college with no apparent labelling system.  With some guidance, however, it was possible to find most of the pieces.

By far the most striking sculpture is Jacob Wrestling, which depicts Jacob struggling with his conscience before encountering his brother, Esau.  Hung behind the altar of the college chapel, the ornate gold sculpture dominates the church and is by far the most memorable piece of the exhibition.  

Other well-known biblical figures such as Mary Magdalene and Elijah are also shown at key moments of their lives.

One of the more moving pieces is Her Grief on Friday, which shows Mary Magdalene at the foot of the cross after the death of Jesus.  

Other interesting sculptures include one of the controversial former Bishop of Durham, entitled  David Jenkins, and one of Roly Bain, a full-time Anglican priest who combines his ministry with his career as a professional clown.

Overall, the exhibition is quite an intriguing exploration of religious figures, though without proper labelling it was sometimes difficult to know which piece was which.