A graffiti art installation in Canterbury Cathedral has sparked mixed criticism, with some branding it “sacrilegious,” days after Dame Sarah Mullally was announced there as Archbishop of Canterbury Designate.  

US Vice President JD Vance joined critics, writing on X that the exhibit had made a "beautiful historical building really ugly".

The colourful installation sees existential questions plastered between pillars and pews, such as: “God, what happens when die?” and “Does everything have a soul?”

Entitled "Hear Us", the project is a collaboration between poet Alex Vellis and curator Jacqueline Creswell, who asked marginalised communities what they would ask God.

Canterbury Cathedral said: “The striking contrasts and conversations between the ancient architecture and this contemporary messaging, offer new interpretations of faith and worship practices, demonstrating that spirituality is not static, but an evolving journey.”

The exhibit is free to attend.

“I think it’s sacrilegious,” said one visitor.  Another claimed it “looks like an underground car park in Peckham.”

Others have resonated with the work, seeing it as a much-needed recognition of the “everyday theological questions”.

Dean of Canterbury, David Monteith, said: “There is a rawness which is magnified by the graffiti style which is disruptive. It is unfiltered and not tidied up or sanitised.

“Above all, this graffiti makes me wonder why I am not always able to be as candid, not least in my prayers.”

Poet and creator Alex Vellis said: “This project, at its core, is about community, using your voice, and change. Language is the people who speak it, and graffiti is the language of the unheard.

“By temporarily graffitiing the inside of Canterbury Cathedral, we join a chorus of the forgotten, the lost, and the wondrous. People who wanted to make their mark, to say “I was here”, and to have their etchings carry their voice through the centuries.”