“Tabga” studio

The “Betlejem” handicraft is made in the “Tabga” Handicraft Workshop. Tabga is a small town on the Sea of Galilee. It is in this neighborhood that Jesus he multiplied the bread and the fish. It was there that he appeared to the disciples after his resurrection and ate breakfast with them. Also there Peter was asked three times for love … “Tabga” studio is a place where a poor person by meeting others and creative work can discover the joy of creativity and fellowship with others, acquire new skills in the field of handicrafts, learn patience and virtue of starting over. In the small church of real Tabga, under the altar, there is one of the oldest mosaics – a basket with loaves and fish in remembrance of the miracle of multiplication. We want the artwork created in our “Tabga” to have artistic value, but also to make a “memento” of the miracle and transformation of those who create them with their own hands.

In the studio, under the supervision of an instructor Anna Wyjadłowska homeless people, residents of “Betlejem”, residents of social-assistance apartments and children from primary and high schools study the art of creating handicrafts.

Handicrafts made in our studio can be purchased in our Galery of St. Dominic at the house of ““Betlejem”” and in our online store.

If you want to inquire about a pottery course, our handicraft or our other services please contact us.

Icons

Icons are windows of God. Looking at their extrasensory beauty we visit his house, we get to know his character and habits. We also believe that he looks at us through these windows. In our community, icons are created on burnt-out wood boards. A board thrown into the fire is charred and formed by flames. When taken out of the fire it appears to be useless and lost.

However, when we take the burns off it with patience and without haste – its new shape emerges, often surprising and unpredictable.

A new beauty emerges from the ashes.
It is similar with people: beaten by an unsuccessful life, wounded by disappointing loves, they often feel burned out and useless. This is the experience of not only the homeless and addicted… After a fire of the cathedral in Sosnowiec in October 2014, residents of “Betlejem” rushed to help clean up the site of fire. They brought the burnt rafters to “Betlejem” and to this day they make icons out of them. The icons created in our Studio help to support the house but they also act as a sign: they remind us of beauty and power a life that is stronger than all forms of destruction. Our icons are a sign of the resurrection and new life.

Below a photo report: “Life from the ruins”

Ceramics and mosaics

Ceramics and mosaics are made In our Tabga studio. Platters, bowls, soap dishes, ocarinas and other ceramic works are inspired by folk art and the works of Friedensreich Hundertwasser – the well-known Austrian painter and “doctor of architecture”. Each item is unique and one-off.

Appreciate our work by purchasing handicrafts in the online store. Our studio also offers courses in ceramics and mosaic ceramics for children, youth and adults.

Framing workshop and laser

The studio on the ground floor of the house is equipped with a laser for cutting and engraving (plywood, glass, plexiglass, leather) and framing of pictures and passe partout. The studio serves mainly to performing work related to the creation of our handicraft.