Kristjana was given the great honour of being asked to design the artwork for the Vatican Library’s 2025 exhibition, En Route, marking the Jubilee Year, ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. 

The year-long exhibition is a collaboration between the Vatican Library, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Jovanotti and Kristjana S Williams, that explores the theme ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ with a reflection on travel, using the theme of travel from different perspectives and disciplines; art, music, fashion, and history. It will showcase the works of the artists and creators which have been developed in close partnership with the Vatican Library curators, using many of their never-seen-before archived collections.

Read on to discover 'the making of' and more details about each of the artworks created for this historic exhibition.

Poma's Journey: a Continental Drift 

The centre-piece of artist Kristjana S Williams’ work for the En Route exhibition is this original three-dimensional triptych artwork, based on a Mercator’s Projection world map from 1898 and an artistic interpretation of the travels and experiences of Cesare Poma, the Italian philologist, essayist and diplomat who travelled the world during the late 19th century. He also held the position of the first Italian consul in China between 1901-1904. 

Each panel of the triptych is linked by bridge to the next, a representation of Poma’s visits to many different countries around the world. In the lefthand panel you’ll find the Americas, Greenland and part of the Arctic Circle, the middle panel Europe and Africa and the right panel Asia, Australia/Oceania. Each piece is interwoven with incredibly detailed hand and laser cut paper elements which tell the story of Poma’s remarkable life, achievements and historic journeys.

The Making of the Elements

Each element is carefully researched and then created to tell the story of the travellers, their discoveries, collections and experiences within the context of the world around them. Kristjana works in a collage style, using Victorian engravings, and for her work in this exhibition, has also used materials from the Vatican Library’s vast archives of historic materials. Every element is researched, found, scanned, cleaned, coloured and designed, combining the artist’s trademark motifs - elements of nature, flora and fauna - and contrasting them with an element of the fantastical and mythical within the human-built world. 

Discover the Details in the Artwork

Themes of travel and industrial progress

• Each panel is bordered by the Chinese coastline in reference to Poma being the first Italian consul in China, a motif that is also reflected in the clouds.

• Modes of transport that made the world accessible, by rail, air and road, are represented in a variety of fantastical forms including a funicular style tram, clipper ship and ocean liner, and Kristjana’s flying bicycles, a mode of transport that has done more to emancipate women than any other (all panels).

• A ‘chapelle portative’, a flying device made in Japan, crosses the northern reaches of Asia, soaring above a Chinese lantern that has transmorphed into a crab (right panel).

• An engraving of an Asian chariot, discovered in the Vatican collections, transports a dragon-tailed swan, behind which a house takes on the body of an Asian muntjac deer, suggesting the sense of fantasy brought on by travelling (right panel).

• Navigational instruments demonstrate the progress of technology and industry: a sextant with flamingo legs measures the distance between objects, a holosteric barometer used to measure air pressure without using liquids (middle panel), astrolabes observed and calculated the position of celestial bodies (middle panel), railway semaphore signals that control railway traffic are interpreted here as a pause in the journey (left panel), a clock within a ships wheel is held by a gloved hand, offering the strength needed to navigate unknown waters and live in the moment (left panel), an ornate keyhole offers to unlock the mysteries of the world (left panel).
• A flying telescope traverses the Chinese landscape (middle panel).

• A porthole highlights the country of India, paying homage to the country’s influence in the textile industry (middle panel).

• Poma’s coin collection is depicted between the hybrid wings of a bee-butterfly (middle panel).
• Poma studied law at the University of Turin, represented here in a book nestled in the corner of the middle panel, beside a strawberry filled vase with champagne coupe and spoon, a nod to the restaurant menus that Poma collected (middle panel).  
• A set of language books in a set of traditional weighing scales nods to Poma’s interest in foreign languages and dialects (right panel).

The Creatures 

• Flocks of birds fly across all three pieces, free of the restrictions of borders and limits that travel can bring.
• Kristjana’s trademark butterflies and insects take on unexpected elements: a beetle bee with flower eyes, a butterfly with a Chinese coin body and a writing implement with the body of a grasshopper.
• Each panel features hero ‘animals’ from across the continents that have been adapted in evolutionary style, including an antelope with reptilian features (middle panel), birds with leaf wings and stag headdresses (right panel) and a tiny crowned and feathered Indian elephant (right panel).

The Flora

• Each panel is made vibrant and colourful with verdant flora from all corners of the globe, some being seen for the first time by the early travellers, such as the jackfruit tree and pineapple plant (middle and right panels).
• Discover hidden fantasy and magic in the flora; the technicolour orchid beside a smiling moon, a flower that Poma took particular interest in during his time in the Americas (left panel).

The Buildings

The three panels feature landmark buildings from cities on each continent that Poma visited during his diplomatic missions. The Chinese buildings represent China as a whole, marking Poma’s role as the first Italian consul in the country. 

• Left panel: the eighteenth century Boston Old State House is topped with the enigmatic Statue of Liberty, first open to the public at the time of Poma’s travels. Stairs lead up to Rio’s Christ the Redeemer statue, built by Brazilian Catholics and a symbol of Christianity and a testament of faith.
• Middle panel: Cardiff Castle, standing as it did in Poma’s time, its ancient legacy demonstrated by its Roman, Norman and Victorian remains. The Edwardian-Baroque Port of Liverpool building sits on the shoreline, an important centre for trade and emigration during the nineteenth century.
• Right panel: The Western Gate of the Forbidden City as viewed from the inside sits beside Beijing’s Summer Palace, a masterpiece of Chinese garden design which marries the beauty of the natural world with artificial structures to create an harmonious aesthetic that is world-renowned.

And finally within this artwork, a young Cesare Poma himself, sitting in an open topped flying machine, ready for his great adventures to come! (Middle panel).

Leroy & Papillaud world map flanked by two balloons, titled: 'En Route' 

A map artwork that celebrates the journey of two French adventurers, Lucien Leroy and Henri Papillaud, who embarked together on a global tour between 1895 and 1897 ‘without a penny’, relying solely on their resourcefulness and the goodwill of the people they met along the way. They documented their journey in a travel journal entitled ’En Route’, which they published and sold during the course of their journey. This journal provides a fascinating account of their adventures, the diverse cultures they encountered and the challenges they faced. It is also a testament to human ingenuity and the spirit of exploration.

This digitally designed giclee print, that includes some 3D handcut and embellished elements, charts Leroy and Papillaud’s journey from Paris to central Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the Americas and back to Europe, against a background that suggests the rise and fall of the sun. It references some of the experiences and challenges they encountered along the way, the discoveries made and examples of their resourcefulness in travel, as well as general themes of travel and exploration.

Themes of Travel and Discovery

• The national symbol of France, the Gallic Rooster, morphs into a bicycle, one of the methods of transport used by the travellers.

• A cluster of Dupuis Delcourt aeronautic balloons carry a shoe-on-wheels, a whimsical representation of travel and movement.

• A train window is magnified, showing the view of the world from its windows.

• An old bellows camera with its lens sprouting flowers represents how the explorers recorded the beauty of the wildlife and flora around the world. 

• Another camera is carried from continent to continent by umbrella, capturing the world through its lens.

• A balloon carrying a basket full of flowers suggests how flora was displaced and introduced into different countries.

• A clipper ship distributes issues of En Route all over the world while overhead, a hummingbird pulls along an open case with copies of En Route being scattered all over the globe.

• A pulley carries a gloved hand holding a pen, suggesting the power of words and writing.

The Creatures

• A trio of animals, bird, cat and hooved mammal, represent a fantasy of living cameras, recording everything they see with the device on their head.

• A cat travels over the Americans on a bicycle, a form of transport that had a revolutionary impact on women’s ability to move around independently.

• Kristjana has created an eclectic collection of butterflies and moths, representative of those discovered by Leroy and Paupillaud on their travels, including leaf-winged and reptilian butterflies, moths with flowers for eyes, and fish-tailed butterflies.

• Spot hummingbirds made of ink and feathers and a pair of fantastical kingfishers with elaborate headdresses.

• Creatures of the sea are interspersed with creatures of the land, including the ‘unicorn of the sea’ the narwhal, which the adventurers would have spotted in Northern Canada. 

The Flora 

• Pen and brushed tipped plants convey a love for journalism and writing.

• Iris, the national flower of France, from where the journey started.

The Buildings 

The buildings featured in the artwork were chosen to be easily recognisable landmarks, or a structure that holds a cultural or historical significance to the cities/countries that Leroy and Papillaud visited.

• The eyecatching curves of the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul, or Constantinople, as it would have been known at the time the travellers visited.

• The mysterious and medieval Forbidden Palace of Beijing, or Peking as it would have been known to Leroy and Papillaud, hidden in this map in the plains and mountains of China.

• Paris’ iconic Tour Eiffel, completed just eight years before Leroy and Papillaud started their journey.
• Milan’s Duomo, a triumph of Gothic architecture.
• Athen’s ancient Doric Temple of Hephaetsus.

The Balloons - Cloud Skimmers 01/02

The pair of balloons that accompany this map reflect the sense of magic and humour found in the motifs in the main artwork, along with a reference to travelling. Their gravity defying flight suggests a sense of lightness in the soul as you travel and the freedom to traverse the world without borders or restrictions.

Mexico map: Equatorial Tapestry & Mexico Diorama: The Crimson Archive 

In this map artwork, Mexico is highlighted within two globes depicting the north and south of the Equator, and mini satellite globes pick out the incredible detail within the piece. 

Discover the indigenous flora and fauna - Mexico has the greatest diversity of cacti of anywhere in the world, and here flowering cacti in emerald green frame the piece. Native animals sit within the spheres, including the beautiful roseate spoonbill and a brown pelican and toucan with ornate headdresses. Feline, fox and monkey take on fantastical faces and an iguana has a bat’s wing upon its head. Can you spot the turtle with wheels and the flying clock? Pre-hispanic carved stones represent the ancient civilisations, alongside the 1,500 year old Mayan Chichen Itza that still stands on Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula today. 

The accompanying Diorama artwork takes its inspiration from the Palafoxiana Library in Puebla, Mexico, the first and oldest public library in the Americas. The colour of the piece is inspired by the browny-red of the walls and shelves of the library. White and gold in the ceiling adds a new architectural element. The tiling on the floor is closely inspired by the tiles in the Palafoxiana Library, with the terracotta coloured squares ornamented with a vivid blue. Motifs representing Leroy and Papillaud’s journey are positioned alongside native flora and fauna in Kristjana’s trademark style. 

Vietnam map: Azure Horizon Routes & Vietnam Diorama: Monsoon Citadel 

 

In the same style as the map of Mexico, Vietnam is captured within the context of the world.  Flora and fauna endemic to the country cover the continents, interspersed with flying machines and roving bicycles. Vietnamese tiger and leopard are the majestic hero animals of the piece, joined by native birds, the green eared barbet and Indochinese roller. Flower filled boats from the floating markets pass over waterlilies and Siamese crocodiles, while a clock is given a fish fin, indicating that time keeps moving. Vietnamese palms soar skyward above golden marigolds that are traditionally displayed at the lunar new year. Balloons carry these plants away, introducing them to new worlds just as En Route introduced new worlds to mankind.

The Diorama artwork depicts a vast staircase that extends far beyond where the eye can see, representative of the mystery that travelling to new places brings and the surprises around each corner. The richly hued walls are inspired by the colourful buildings in Vietnam; the salmon-pink Jade Emperor Pagoda and the yellow roofed Citadel of Hue. Lotus and jasmine burst from the walls while motifs from Leroy and Papillaud’s adventures illustrate the space.

Cambodia circular map artworks: Mangrove Waterway 01/02

Cambodia is represented here in two immersive nature based artworks, connected via a stone portal at the foot of the scene. Nature tumbles freely over ancient stone buildings, an interpretation of the world famous Angkor Wat complex of temples which Leroy and Papillaud will no doubt have visited on their journey. Fantastical creatures sit amid the floral frame, a pied avocet with dragonfly wings taking centre stage, and a pair of monkeys climb a banyan tree that leads into the canopy of the tropical jungle. Ornamented butterflies, their wings inspired by stained glass, inject kaleidoscopic colour into the scene, and the power of the waterfall bubbles over with the energy and passion of adventure, leading eventually to the Cambodian coast, reflected in the seashell-flowers growing in this Eden-like paradise.

The Tree of Life Artwork, titled: Roots to Routes

The Tree of Life itself is a universal motif that is recognised by different cultures and religions all over the world. The tree was one of Kristjana’s first ever collage artworks and since then the artist has created many different versions. The Tree of Life presented here isn’t rooted in a specific culture or religion, but represents unity, connecting us all within the context of travel.

Discover the Details in the Artwork

Within the vibrant canopy you will discover many different forms of travel, from boats, bicycles, locomotives and even shoes, to the vehicles of Kristjana’s imagination; the floating umbrella and a stage coach nestled between the wings of a bird. Leaves have been replaced by butterfly wings, representing movement, of flying away from your home and the excited, fluttering sensation experienced when embarking on a new journey. It also symbolises the changes that we experience when we travel; we grow our own wings, gaining wisdom and confidence, while still being connected to the roots that ground us.

Themes

Connection: The Tree of Life can represent a connection between the physical and spiritual worlds, and between all life. 

Cycle of life: The Tree of Life can represent the cycle of life and death, rebirth and renewal. 

Source of life: The Tree of Life can represent the source of life. 

Wisdom: The Tree of Life can represent wisdom, strength, protection, abundance, beauty, immortality, fertility, and redemption. 

Ancestral roots: The Tree of Life can represent ancestral roots. 

The Facade Stamps: Initials En Route

Kristjana was given the great honour of being asked to design the artwork for the facade of the Vatican Library building in the ancient Cortile de Belvedere. A series of flags spell the initials of the exhibition ‘En Route’.

Each letter has been individually designed and includes the following elements:

E depicts elements from Kristjana’s Cesare Poma Triptych artwork and includes a portrait of Poma. 

N is set against the background of Kristjana’s Leroy and Papillaud world map artwork, and includes a portrait of the pair.

R celebrates the achievements of nineteenth century female explorers - the bicycle afforded women the opportunity to travel independently and was a symbol of freedom and empowerment. Also included are books and journals where these women could publish their stories and achievements.

O has been created for Jovanotti, and includes a collection of musical instruments against a mellow landscape with Kristjana’s trademark flowers and butterflies.

U represents Kristjana and her Studio, and includes some of her favourite motifs and a classical background inspired by her work with the V&A.

T offers a glimpse into Maria Grazia’s world of fashion, with scissors, ribbons, clothes and a Kristjana style ‘parrot mannequin’ set against an architectural background.

E is a homage to the Vatican Library, with its vast collection of books and manuscripts and priceless treasures, plus a representation of the open doors of St Peter’s Basilica on the Holy Bible.

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