Tee Justine from Nigeria designed the LWF Christmas card for 2024. Photo: LWF
Nigerian artist combines graphic design and African tradition
(LWI) – The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Christmas card for 2024 captures the dedication of the wise men to find the “child who has been born king of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2). They are portrayed through abstract computer graphics and wearing traditional dresses from Nigeria.
“The biblical story of the wise men searching for the newborn child and following the star with great dedication has fascinated me since childhood,” says Tee Justine, who designed the card. “Also, I wanted to show that Nigeria has a very lively IT and design community.”
When they had heard the king, they set out, and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the east, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.
Matthew 2:9-10
Taking up traditional elements in the robes of the wise men symbolizes the rich cultural heritage of Africa and is a call for unity among Nigerians at the same time, he explains.
Justine is a member of The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria and a professional graphic designer. He is based in Jimeta, Adamawa, Nigeria.
Every year, the LWF invites member churches to contribute a design for the Christmas card. In 2023, the art was created by artist and theologian Kristen Opalinski from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
