Chocolate statue of Jesus makes a gallery debut

SWEET JESUS: Cosimo Cavallaro created a life size Jesus out of 200 pounds of dark chocolate.

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Keywords: New York, Gallery

New York: The likeness of Jesus can be found in mugs, tattoos and even t-shirts.

But if you really want to stir up some attention, nothing beats putting him in chocolate.

So is sculpting Jesus out of chocolate, freedom of artistic expression, disrespect of religion or both?

“I'm doing it because I find this beautiful. That's it!” says artist, Cosimo Cavallaro.

Cavallaro with his wife Sarah has created a life size Jesus Christ made out of 200 pounds of dark chocolate at a New York City gallery. It's anatomically correct, without a loincloth.

“This is basically a whole month viewing of the body of Jesus lying on a puff pillow like a pastry. There's nothing negative when you offer people some nice sweets, chocolates, whatever,” says Cavallaro.

The project has been resurrected, not in a divine way, after pressure led another gallery to cancel this past Easter.

A different chocolate Jesus sculpted by Cavallaro was to be shown in a ground floor window during holy week.

“They are saying that we are taking a devout Christian image of the crucified Christ and making him into chocolate with genitals exposed. They are digging the knife at Christians on this. And to try to pretend otherwise is absurd. And they are doing this at our holiest time,” says Kiera McCaffrey of the The Catholic League.

Before the gallery canceled, the Cavallaros said they were getting dozens of threats.

“I was getting calls that they were going to kill Cosimo. They were describing how they were going to kill him,” says Cavallaro’s wife, Sarah.

The Catholic artist ended up storing his creation but rodents got to it so he sculpted a new one, which was dripping a bit during our visit to the gallery.

Eight smaller chocolate saints including St Michael, Francis, Firmin and the Virgin Mary surround it.

The message is said to be one of healing. The Catholic league agrees it is disgraceful.

“I understand the original was eaten by mice which is perhaps a fitting end to it,” says McCaffrey.

But perhaps it could be less disgraceful this time around.

“The intent seems much different. It is not to thrust it in people's faces on days like Good Friday. This isn't happening, so yes, it is less of a problem,” says Sarah.

Cavallero offers no apologies

“I am religious yes. Am I religious to the point I am not open-minded? No,” says Cavallero.

For his next project, Cavallero says he is planning a sculpture symbolising the last supper.