Sister Cecilia Yeon Tji’s Art Studio

In Awe of the Gift of Life in Abundance! Beauty, beauty, beauty everywhere-and not enough time to drink it all in! I recently had an amazing, awe filled visit to Sister Cecilia Tji’s art studio in Our Lady of Grace Spiritual Center in Manhasset, NY. From brilliant colors of painting, photos of other huge art pieces gracing the walls of churches from Philadelphia, Brooklyn, New Jersey, Detroit and New York City, sculptures and tapestries, I was left in awe of Cecilia’s creativity and giftedness. At one point in my visit we were standing in front of a huge tapestry of Jesus entitled, “Behold, I Make All Things New.” She explained that doing huge paintings (40 feet by 8 feet) that were commissioned was difficult because of the space that is needed. So she began utilizing weavings and different textiles to create tapestries such as this one. She now has 23 artworks hanging in 17 different churches.

Born in South Korea, as a teenager, Cecilia wanted to be a movie director. Gifted in music, writing and art, she thought that would be the best use of her talents. As she debated what path to follow she chose to become a Catholic and was baptized in her senior year in high school. In her senior year of college, she made a decision to enter religious life. Her Bishop recommended that she come to the U.S., and God, ever at her side, led her to the Congregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Over the years she has ministered to Korean parishes in Philadelphia, Brooklyn and Long Island while teaching in a university and high school. She taught in Cathedral High School in NYC for 28 years before retiring in 2024.

Her creative work and her teaching earned her recognition in Who’s Who in American Teachers, and the Catholic Readers Digest named her one of the 100 most influential people in the Asian world.

“My art, as a sacramental art, explicitly focuses on revealing God’s presence. My art as a prophetic art focuses on dismantling the reality of social injustice in humanity,” she said.

Cecilia also reached out to the Korean communities in the New York area, giving charismatic, family and parish retreats, and cursillos while finishing a PhD program in Spirituality and Spiritual Direction from Fordham University.  

She created and produced a “Spirituality and Art” program on Korean TV and gave five years of talks on a Korean radio program.

Cecilia is anything but retired! Besides having more time to create in her art studio at Our Lady of Grace, she continues to give retreats and provides spiritual direction as well as assisting with days of recollection given by various presenters at the Center.

At the close of my visit, Cecilia referred me to one of her favorite art pieces, “The Aged Woman-Mother of the Crucified Jesus.” She said that when human beings experience a little beauty (God) in a most painful and unbearable situation, they become more loving, hopeful and trustful in God’s hands. In other words, they recognize God’s presence.

I hope viewers will find a feeling of warmth through God’s healing power in the Aged Woman’s eyes. I think that the Aged Woman, being the Mother of Jesus crucified, shares the “social status” of marginal people, vis-a-vis the beatitudes, “Blessed are there poor…”