Currently, humanity is searching for peace and unity in a time dominated by chaos and violence.  I believe that at this time, it is vital for me as an artist to emphasize the inherent value of human life regardless of race, religion or sex. Although all great world religions advocate love, compassion, tolerance and hope, faith consistently becomes the catalyst for hostility and fear among people. With this series, I hope to deconstruct some of the perceptions of our disparity by drawing parallels between differing religions. 
 Nostra Aetate is a document on the relation of the Roman Catholic Church to non-Christian religions written by Pope Paul VI in 1965. The declaration expresses the Church’s reverence for other faiths. As a Catholic learning from the wisdom of religions outside my own for the first time, 
I considered it a fitting title to this series. Each piece in this series consists of one image juxtaposed with another. This is done to express two aspects of religion that are distinct, but connected at the same time. These aspects consist of our desire for spiritual perfection, and our fallibility. 
I employed religious statues in my paintings, in order to portray a shrine of sorts. The statues symbolize the core teachings of the religion depicted. Candy has been used to represent human greed, appetite and lust. The candy has the effect of trivializing the statue that it surrounds, symbolizing the damaging effect that sin has on religion’s impact. While the visual combination of candy and statue conflict, they are structurally inseparable in each piece in the same way that religion cannot escape human weakness. Though human beings strive for strength in faith, we inevitably give in to some temptation, causing pain to those around us.  With “Nostra Aetate”, I  wish to stress the importance of theistic and cultural tolerance in a very tumultuous age where the term “global” is more and more commonly used. I also want to impart the importance of religious and spiritual beliefs while acknowledging religion’sfailings due to human egotism and ignorance.