A brand-new, free to attend outdoor exhibition has opened in Wembley Park. London’s most exciting new neighbourhood has put the big man himself under the spotlight in From Saint to Santa, with 32 artworks, including an original AI-generated one, tracking the history of Santa Claus and its influences. Displayed across light boxes in Wembley Park’s Arena Square, next to the Grade II listed OVO Arena Wembley, the images delve into Father Christmas’ fascinating origins, taking viewers on a festive journey through the ages.
The exhibition explores the emergence of the modern Santa Claus from roots that span Norse Yule celebrations, the Roman Saturnalia festival and Christianity’s Saint Nicholas. It travels through early spirituality and the Reformation to the jollier Santa figure we recognise today. The images also pay heed to some of Santa Claus’ less cheery companions, from the demon-like Krampus who seizes naughty children in central Europe to Knecht Ruprecht from German folklore who reprimands ill-behaved children with his staff or a bag of ashes.
Wending its way through history, the outdoor photography exhibition looks at how two distinct figures – Father Christmas and Santa Claus – merged into one and where characteristics such as the famous red suit, rosy cheeks, gift-giving and reindeer-pulled flying sleigh originated. It shows the impact that authors such as Washing Irving and Clement Clarke Moore, and artists such as Thomas Nast and Norman Rockwell, have had in turning a serious, saintly figure into someone altogether jollier.
The evolution of Santa’s treatment in consumer culture goes under the microscope as part of the new exhibition as well, including the role that advertising and modern popular culture have played in shaping today’s Santa iconography.
Embracing Wembley Park’s tradition of celebrating diversity and global unity through art, the exhibition explores how Santa is represented in non-Western cultures, demonstrating the universal appeal and adaptability of this cherished figure. In addition, it probes into the future of Santa Claus, pondering the influence of emerging technologies and evolving cultural perspectives and sensitivities on this timeless character.
