Julien Raynaud of Marseille, France, recently visited the city of San Gabriel to be the first artist to display paintings for the World + Culture Project for Systemic Change, a project of Father Eddie De Leon of Mission San Gabriel, and supported by the Claretian Missionaries.
“This project [World + Culture] brings together artists, intercultural visionaries and change-makers with the belief that art and culture are essential forces for healing, justice and renewal,” Raynaud said.
De Leon has always had an interest in art, especially how the artists think, feel and create, and wonders, “Is there a connection greater than themselves? Where do they get the inspiration? Does it become a sacred space? Is it spirit? Art has a profound impact on the viewer.”
Raynaud and De Leon first connected on Facebook eight years ago and, over time, became good friends. De Leon was especially impressed by Raynaud’s art, and he finally met him in person two years ago in France. He brought back four paintings and had four more sent over to the Mission, where they are now on display.
Of the eight paintings, two have been sold, and De Leon said, “The six remaining are for sale and will not remain long at the mission.”
Raynaud began painting twenty years ago and, since 2011, has exhibited in France, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Monaco, and Hong Kong. In 2023, he held an exhibition at the Deji Art Museum in Nanjing, China. He is the first contemporary artist to present his work at the San Gabriel Mission Church Museum in California.
“To be honest,” Raynaud said, “I didn’t really choose to become an artist. As a kid, I couldn’t sit still or focus for long. I wasn’t good at school and spent a lot of time being punished. As a teenager, my father took away my musical instruments and in my room, there was nothing left but a bed and a desk. I remember asking myself, ‘What can I do that no one will ever be able to take away from me?’ I looked at the piece of paper and began to draw.”
With no formal training, Raynaud has developed his own style, drawing inspiration from stained glass and mural street art. While visiting churches on trips with his family, he became fascinated with stained glass windows.
“Those colors, that light, that spiritual presence speaks even when no words are needed,” he explained.
Raynaud found his current style completely by accident. While sketching a sculpture, he made a mistake and crossed out the drawing. Later, he noticed that the shape created by the line was interesting and started drawing more of the shapes. A person with him said, “It looks like Cubism!” He decided to study Cubism and ‘fell in love’ with it. He describes his style as a mix of Cubism, the vibrant color energy of Fauvism, and the structure of stained glass.
“Bright colors, for me, are a way to tackle even difficult subjects while still conveying hope—that even when things are painful, everything will eventually be all right. Colors help me turn something negative into something positive,” Raynaud said. “For instance, I painted Jesus on the cross without His wounds and used my most joyful colors. Not to deny His suffering, which according to our faith He accepted for all of us, but to shift the focus away from pain and toward love. He did it out of love for us, and that love is stronger than suffering itself.”
“Recently, I’ve stopped drawing the interiors of the faces in my paintings. I want each viewer to see whatever they want within the painting, according to their own culture and personal story. It’s a space of freedom I leave open to the person looking at my work.”
The Mission exhibit is the very first one Raynaud devoted entirely to biblical themes. He had been thinking about it for years, but put pressure on himself to make it unique, something truly different from traditional art.
“The pressure froze me creatively,” he said. “I kept feeling like my sketches weren’t good enough to start painting. When I shared this with Father Eddie, he said, ‘Sometimes doing just a little is already a lot.’ Those words freed me, and I began painting simply with what I had, without fear of not being perfect.”
As he worked on the religious-themed paintings, his sister, Anais Raynaud, collaborated with him and wrote a poem for each one.
Abba
Your love is like a spark of light,
It sets my heart aflame and guides me bright.
It asks no demand, no binding law, no claim,
Yet patiently, you wait for me to speak your name.
Discreetly, you let me act without disdain.
Lovingly, you lift me gently when I fall again.
And when I do not listen and turn away,
You open wide, so love alone will guide my way.
Through your gentle gaze, my courage grows,
Like a child, I journey safe and free,
Knowing you have already gifted eternity.Written by Anais Raynaud
“It is an honor for me to have my younger sister in this project. She is very important to me, and I am very proud of her.”
An unusual event occurred during the 7:30 a.m. mass at the Mission San Gabriel, which Raynaud attended. De Leon had placed the painting of Jesus on an easel at the front of the church, which was dimly lit at that early hour, when suddenly a bright light began shining on one side of the painting, then eventually illuminating the entire canvas.
At first, Raynaud didn’t say anything until his wife whispered, “Did you see your painting?”
“That’s when I realized it wasn’t just me. I took out my phone to take pictures and videos, but the light was so strong that it looked like a camera flash. The walls of the church were visible, but not the details of the painting.”
After mass, several people came up to Raynaud to tell him how incredible it was. They had noticed it too and found it strange since the only small window that could let in sunlight is at the back of the church.
Parishioners were enthralled by the light illuminating the painting of Jesus. Antonio and Rosa, regular attendees at Mission San Gabriel, described the event.
“On October 19, 2025, during the most sacred part of the Mass, something quietly astonishing occurred,” Antonio explained.
“A painting stood on an artist’s tripod in front of the sanctuary — not hung or elevated but placed with reverence and intention. As the consecration began, a subtle brightness emerged from the top left corner of the canvas. It wasn’t a spotlight. It wasn’t artificial. The light seemed to come from within the painting itself, as if the artwork were responding to the holiness unfolding at the altar.”
“The illumination spread gently across the surface,” Antonio continued, “deepening the colors, sharpening the forms. The painting grew more vivid, more alive. I wasn’t the only one who noticed. After the Mass, others throughout the congregation shared that they, too, had seen the transformation.”
“Later, it was discovered that the light had come from the sun, shining through the only window at the front entrance of the church. But I knew, deep inside, that this was no coincidence,” said Antonio. “The timing of the sunlight, the consecration of the host, the exact placement of Julien’s painting — all aligned too perfectly. Catholics don’t believe in coincidence. We believe in the hand of God.
“It felt as if God Himself had reached into the sanctuary and given a quiet, radiant thumbs-up to Julien’s artwork — a divine affirmation, expressed not in words, but in light. God’s light,” Antonio concluded.
It is difficult to find a gallery willing to host an exhibition of entirely religious art, so when Mission San Gabriel offered Raynaud the opportunity, he decided it was ‘now or never.’
“I hope I’ll find other places like the Mission Church in the future where faith and art can meet naturally,” Raynaud said. “It was incredibly moving to see one of my paintings displayed during Mass inside the Mission Church, such a symbolic and historic place. You can truly feel something powerful in that church, magnified by the beautiful homilies of Father Eddie and the other priests. Walking through San Gabriel, meeting its residents, and spending time at the Mission Church were unforgettable experiences for my wife and me. The mayor, Denise Menchaca and her team were so welcoming. I met wonderful, kindhearted people whom I hope to see again someday.”