Table of Hope

At morning prayer today we spent a few moments reflecting on a painting of the Last Supper. HAPAG NG PAG-ASA (Table of Hope) was painted by Joey Velasco and depicts a group of street children in the Philippines in place of the disciples gathered around Jesus.




The artist explained that the original intention behind the painting was to remind his family to be grateful for the food they have. Having finished the painting Velasco went back to find out more about the lives of each of his subjects and the painting took on fresh meaning with each story. The girl on the far left clutching the bag, for example, lives in a graveyard.

In this haunting video Sa Kambas ng Lipunan (On the Canvas of Society) Velasco talks about the painting and the stories of the children behind it. It’s quite long but well worth watching if you have the time.



Joey Velasco died in July 2010 of kidney failure.