STEPHANE RENE PhD(RCA)
Iconographer
Prof. Isaac Fanous and Dr Stephane Rene in the art studio of the Institute of Coptic studies,
Cairo 1986
Pope Shenouda III anoints an Icon of St Mark the Evangelist with holy myron for the dedication of the extended iconostasis of St Mark’s Church, London 2000
Icon of Stella Maris
HRH the Prince of Wales initiated a Summer School in Iconography on Mount Athos, Greece, the first of which took place in May 2005. This is a unique opportunity for a handful of students to experience iconography in a monastic context. Dr René has been associated with the Prince’s School of Traditional Art (formerly The Prince of Wales’ Institute of Architecture) since its creation in 1993.
The iconostasis of the Coptic Cathedral of St Mark in London was extended with 8 icons written by Dr Stephane Rene in 1998. The original 7 icons were completed by Prof. Fanous in 1977.
- It is the tradition in the Coptic church to anoint icons with Holy Chrism or myron. This is seen as a kind of baptism for the sacred objects used in worship, such as altars and sacred vessels. Until the 18th C. the custom was to burn the old icons in the preparation of the Holy myron.-
Stephanos was commissioned by the Apostleship of the Sea in 2004, to create an image of Our Lady Stella Maris, Star of the Sea, to front their organization’s work with the seafaring communities around the world. The icon is currently on a world tour of churches dedicated to Stella Maris, usually located by the sea. In May 2006 the icon was blessed by HH Pope Benedict XVI in St Peter’s Square, Rome. The Neo-Coptic style is the only contemporary style of sacred iconography. Its hieratic style, uncluttered designs based on pure geometry and rich symbolic vocabulary speak a universal visual language.
With HRH the Prince of Wales . Mount Athos Summer School in Iconography May 2006
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Stephane Rene (deacon Stephanos) is one of the late Prof. Isaac Fanous’ closest disciples. He studied iconography at the Institute of Coptic Studies, Cairo, under the master’s tutelage. In 1990 Stephane received his PhD from the Royal College of Art, London. Since then he has worked and lectured internationally and became a leading exponent of the Contemporary style outside of Egypt.
Stéphane René is the foremost exponent of the Neo-Coptic School in the Western hemisphere. He studied for 6 years under the school’s founder, the late Prof. Isaac Fanous, at the Institute of Coptic Studies, Cairo. He received his PhD from the Royal College of Art, London in 1990 and since then has worked internationally, notably in California and Europe as well as the UK. He teaches regular classes in both, the Byzantine and Coptic styles and leads workshops internationally.