C.A. Henry - Christopher Allen Henry "Ave" Signed

Updated September 18, 2026

Christopher Allen "C.A." Henry (Irish-Canadian, b. 1954), "Ave," a visually arresting signed and numbered limited-edition serigraph distinguished by Henry's exuberant color, vigorous graphic line and highly personal synthesis of figurative, decorative and spiritual imagery. Pencil-signed at lower right, titled "Ave" at lower center and numbered 86/250 at lower left, the work additionally bears a red seal or chop mark and embossed blindstamps within the lower margin.<br><br>A contemplative female figure dominates the composition, her bowed head and prayerful pose framed by a monumental halo-like arch and an exceptionally dense field of geometric and organic ornament. Brilliant cobalt and turquoise blues, emerald and forest greens, crimson, ochre, white and deep black are orchestrated into an almost jewel-like surface, while Henry's emphatic contours and fragmented patterning give the image the immediacy of a modern devotional icon. The serenity of the central figure provides a compelling visual counterpoint to the extraordinary energy and chromatic richness of the surrounding composition.<br><br>Across the lower portion appears the inscription "AVE MARIA EVA," an especially evocative element that reinforces the work's Marian and Christian devotional associations. The juxtaposition of "Ave" and "Eva" also recalls the long-established theological and artistic relationship between Mary and Eve, lending the image an additional layer of symbolic resonance. Henry does not approach the subject through conventional religious naturalism; instead, he translates sacred imagery into an intensely contemporary visual language of saturated color, abstraction, ornament and expressive line.<br><br>Born in Belfast in 1954 and established in Canada from childhood, Christopher Allen Henry developed an extensive career within Canadian contemporary art. He began exhibiting in Toronto in 1987 and subsequently established representation and exhibition exposure through numerous Canadian galleries. Henry is particularly associated with richly colored, highly animated paintings and works on paper in which personal spirituality, cultural memory, landscape, symbolism and decorative invention frequently intersect. His work has developed an established secondary auction market, adding meaningful collector context to this limited-edition graphic work.<br><br>The present composition is independently documented under the title "AVE" as a serigraph by C.A. Henry, with published dimensions of 26.5 x 22 inches, corresponding exactly to the present sheet. This impression is hand-numbered 86 from the edition of 250 and retains the desirable combination of pencil signature, title, edition number, red seal and embossed blindstamps.<br><br>Sheet: approximately 26 1/2 x 22 inches (67.3 x 55.9 cm). Visible condition is generally good overall, with light handling waviness, minor creasing and scattered superficial marks principally within the margins. The printed image itself retains strong,

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