*“Come, follow me.” (Messiah series),* 2020, ink on canvas, 45.5 × 37.5 cm

*“Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (Messiah series),* 2020, ink on canvas, 45.5 × 37.5 cm

*“I am the light of the world.” (Messiah series),* 2018, ink on paper, diptych, 220 × 95.5 cm

*Madonna and Child (Messiah series),* 2010, ink and gouache on paper, 179.5 × 96 cm

Messiah series (2009–present)

I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:2)

Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless
me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request. (1 Chronicles 4:10 NIV)

Out of his love and passion for Christ and the salvation bestowed upon him, Yahon Chang not only wants to capture the pain Jesus endured on the cross, but also His unconditional love for this world in this portraiture series. Chang also seeks to capture the holiness of light, which represents salvation and God’s divine glory through the Chinese technique of liubai, in which canvas space is intentionally left unpainted. We see the fusion of East and West, with subject matter familiar to the West yet expressed through Chinese brushwork. Chang’s unpainted canvas space redefines the meaning of liubai; it is a space of the divine glory of light and energy. This unpainted space is filled with the light of mercy, light of love, light of glory, and hope. The line and brushwork record his action on canvas and the spiritual path along which he journeys with faith, yet this representation of light showcases the inner spiritual pilgrimage of the artist.
— Francise Chang