Out of Egypt: Paul G. Chandler Uses Contemporary Art to Build Bridges

At a time when cultural and religious divisions often dominate headlines, the quiet work of bridge-builders is especially meaningful. One such figure is Paul-Gordon Chandler—a cultural diplomat, author, and interfaith peacemaker—who has spent much of his career using art to foster understanding across cultures and faith traditions.

Through CARAVAN, the international arts nonprofit he founded, Chandler has created platforms where creativity becomes a meeting ground for people from diverse cultural backgrounds and spiritual traditions. His exhibitions go beyond visual appeal—they are carefully curated encounter points. And in post-revolution Egypt, those encounters took on even deeper importance.

Curating Artistic Encounter Points

Chandler’s connection to Egypt is personal and longstanding. He lived and worked in Cairo during a time of dramatic transition, witnessing how the events of the Arab Spring reshaped the country’s social and spiritual landscape.

Amid political change and heightened sectarian tensions, Chandler turned to art as a means of fostering peace and understanding. One such artistic bridge-building initiative, The Bridge, debuted in Cairo before touring internationally. The exhibition featured artists from Christian, Muslim, and Jewish backgrounds, with work that explored themes such as commonalities, compassion, unity, and coexistence.

What set The Bridge apart was how it utilized contemporary art from Egypt’s two primary faith communities Coptic Christian and Muslim, as an invitation to dialogue. Displaying both traditions side-by-side, the exhibition offered viewers a new way of seeing—emphasizing connection over contrast, and shared meaning over separation.

Egypt’s Faith Traditions in Artistic Dialogue

A number of the participating Egyptian contemporary artists in CARAVAN’s exhibitions create from the foundation of the rich tradition of Coptic and Islamic art. Coptic art is a vibrant and deeply symbolic tradition that traces its roots back to the earliest centuries of Christianity in Egypt. Its iconography is rich with spiritual meaning. Islamic art, with its emphasis on calligraphy, pattern, and abstraction, offers its own deep sense of beauty and spiritual reflection.

Rather than isolating these traditions, Chandler curated exhibitions that brought them together—sometimes quite literally. In one instance, a Coptic portrayal of the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt was placed alongside an Islamic-inspired work centered on themes of sanctuary and welcome. The dialogue created between the two pieces was powerful: different faiths, different styles, but a shared message of hospitality, refuge and embrace.

These curatorial choices weren’t just aesthetic—they were intentional steps toward fostering a broader conversation about religious diversity. At a time when public discourse could feel polarized, the exhibitions quietly reinforced a truth often overlooked: that the country’s cultural and spiritual fabric is deeply interwoven.

Creating Space for Shared Experience

Part of what makes Chandler’s work with CARAVAN so resonant is its accessibility. Rather than restricting exhibitions to elite galleries or museums, many are held in sacred spaces or cultural spaces. They welcome diverse audiences—young and old, religious and secular, Middle Eastern and Western, Muslim, Christian and Jew.

The approach is not to lecture or persuade. Instead, it is to create space—space to look, reflect, and engage, or what Chandler refers to as a “creative demonstration of dialogue.” By doing so, Chandler helps foster connections that are as human as they are artistic.

This kind of cultural exchange stands in contrast to the often-frenzied pace of online discourse. In-person art-centered experiences can offer something quieter but more lasting: empathy, perspective, and the opportunity to see “the other” not as a threat, but as a neighbor.

A Message For Today

Chandler’s exhibitions in Egypt began more than a decade ago, and their impactful messages have resonated through numerous CARAVAN exhibitions since then. In areas of the world where faith traditions are sometimes used to divide—and where cultural contributions are at risk—his work reminds us of the importance of honoring sacred traditions, and learning from their diversity.

The model he presents doesn’t erase differences. Rather, it celebrates them—while gently pointing to the values we all hold in common.

As tensions between different religious traditions rise and fall across the globe, efforts like Chandler’s offer a hopeful counterpoint. They suggest that beauty, storytelling, and shared creativity may be some of the most enduring tools for peace.

A Lasting Contribution

Chandler’s work is both thoughtful and forward-looking. It’s rooted in a belief that art can do more than complement a sacred or cultural space. It can welcome. It can heal.

His exhibitions are reminders that, even in these complex and divided times, it is possible to create moments of understanding and friendship. Not through argument, but through an artistic encounter. Not by glossing over differences, but by recognizing the sacred in each other.

And sometimes, it begins by simply standing in front of a painting—and allowing it to speak.

About Paul G. Chandler

Paul Gordon Chandler is an author, art curator, peacemaker, and the President of CARAVAN, an international arts NGO that uses art to build bridges between diverse cultures, peoples and spiritual traditions. He has extensive experience in the Middle East and Africa, and among the Abrahamic faith traditions, and his work focuses on the transformational role of the arts in fostering peace and understanding. Chandler has authored several non-fiction books, including the bestselling book titled “In Search of a Prophet: A Spiritual Journey with Kahlil Gibran.” He was awarded the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation in 2020. Learn more about Paul Gordon Chandler on his author and speaker website: paulgchandler.com.

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