A long-serving local doctor and accomplished artist, Peter Conolly, has donated one of his latest works to Oasis House.

It is a 2.74-metre-wide depiction of the Bible’s Book of Revelation, painted in three sections.

Oasis, located at 102 St John St, has yet to display the revelation painting but other works by Conolly will be in his exhibition, scheduled to run at the Art Society Hall from tomorrow to Sunday.

“Now that I’m nearly retired – though still looking after residents at Thornton Park Retirement Village – I’m doing a lot more painting,” Conolly said.

“I like painting using symbols.

“We all understand symbols and give our own meaning to them. I decided to do a painting on the Book of Revelation in the Bible as it is dripping with symbols and because I am a follower of The Way, meaning Jesus.

“Revelation has a complex structure, and I was helped to understand it by Rev Kingi Williams, now living in Sydney but born and bred in Ōpōtiki.

“This book’s structure is “chiastic”, which means that the understanding starts at each end and meets in the middle.

“The theme of the book is that God and Jesus will overcome – both in the present and in the future.

“Some of my other paintings will be displayed at the exhibition run by Nga Toi Wairua, which encourages new artists, both young and old, to exhibit.

“I hope many people will come out to enjoy this visual expression of faith and spirituality.”