Kristjana S Williams 'En Route' Exhibition at The Vatican Library

Kristjana had the incredible honour of being invited to work with @bibliotecaapostolicavaticana for the Vatican Library’s 2025 exhibition ‘En Route’, marking the Jubilee Year, ‘Pilgrims of Hope’.

The year-long exhibition curated by Giacomo Cardinali, Simona De Crescenzo, Francesca Giannetto and Delio V. Proverbio is a collaboration between the Vatican Library, Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri and artist Lorenzo Jovanotti that explores the theme of travel from different perspectives and disciplines; art, music, fashion, and history. Showcasing the works of the artists and creators which have been developed in close partnership with the Vatican Library curators, using many of their never-seen-before archived collections.

Kristjana created an incredible centerpiece 3D triptych inspired by the recent discovery of the ‘Poma Periodici’ collection, an extraordinary archive of approximately 1,200 newspapers from remote locations featuring the languages of all five continents, amassed by Cesare Poma (1862–1932) an Italian philologist, essayist, and diplomat who journeyed the world during the late 19th century.

Each panel of the triptych is connected by bridges, symbolizing Poma’s visits to various countries around the globe. On the left, you’ll find the Americas, Greenland, and part of the Arctic Circle; in the middle, Europe and Africa; and on the right, Asia and Australia/Oceania. Each section is intricately detailed with both hand and laser-cut paper elements, all woven together to tell the story of Poma’s incredible life, his achievements, and his historic travels

The exhibition also sheds light on the periodical, ‘En Route’, published by two French journalists and adventurers, Lucien Leroy and Henri Papillaud who embarked together on a global tour between 1895 and 1897. Without a penny to fund the trip, they relied solely on their resourcefulness and the goodwill of the people they met along the way. Kristjana interpreted their journey by creating a world map artwork, using research from the documentation of their ‘En Route’ journals, which the duo published and sold during the course of their journey. Their writing provides a fascinating account of their adventures, the diverse cultures they encountered and the challenges they faced. It is also a testament to human ingenuity and the spirit of adventure.

Kristjana’s artwork is composed of 3D handcut and embellished elements charting Leroy and Papillaud’s journey from Paris to central Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the Americas and back to Europe, against a background that suggests the rise and fall of the sun. It references some of the experiences and challenges they encountered along the way, the discoveries made and examples of their resourcefulness in travel, as well as general themes of travel and exploration.

To see more of Kristjana’s stunning work, head to her full portfolio here