In a small corner of Southern Illinois, far from the world’s major art capitals, an artist has been quietly carving a message that speaks to people everywhere. Michael Aldag’s linoleum relief print Shine like Stars (2008) imagines a world where people of different faiths live side by side in peace. Few themes matter more today.
A Midwestern Voice with a Prophetic Ear
Aldag was born and raised in Southern Illinois, and the Midwest runs through his work. The landscapes he depicts are the ones he grew up in, seen through his own eyes.
He is also drawn to something less visible. In much of his art, he tries to bring forward what he calls the prophetic voice, the truth speaking in the world around us that often goes unheard. For Aldag, art is both self-expression and self-reflection. Across his range of media and subjects runs one consistent thread: a sense of sobriety, a serious tone he sees everywhere in the world.
In 2022, he had a solo show in the Boswell Art Gallery of Kaskaskia College in Centralia, Illinois. In 2024, he won First Place for Photography in the Illinois Art League Membership Show at Time Gallery in East Peoria, Illinois. In 2026, his work was juried into the Illinois All-State Art Exhibition in the Giertz Gallery of Parkland College in Champaign, IL.
Reimagining a Masterpiece
Shine like Stars is a response to one of the most beloved paintings in history, Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night (1889). Viewers will recognize the borrowed elements right away: the towering cypress tree in the foreground and the swirling pattern of the night sky.
The similarities end there. Van Gogh worked in rich oil paint. Aldag made a varied-edition linoleum relief print, 25 x 33 inches, using black ink on white paper. He carved every line into the linoleum with a tool, then added only touches of red and yellow. The limited palette makes the scene feel stripped down, almost like a prayer.
Three Houses of Worship, One Quiet Village
Below the turbulent sky lies a peaceful village. In its center stand three large buildings: a church, a temple, and a mosque. Aldag wanted to show believers of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam living in harmony while still practicing their faith.
Yellow, one of the print’s two accent colors, marks the houses of worship. It signals light and the presence of the people inside. Nothing in the village suggests conflict. Each tradition keeps its own building, and all share the same ground.
The piece also carries a line from Scripture, Philippians 2:15, which describes becoming blameless and pure in a warped and crooked generation and shining among others like stars in the sky. The verse gives the print its title and its hope.
A Sky Full of Symbols
The stars above the village are red, a color Aldag uses to represent passion. Each one stands for a different religious tradition:
- The crescent moon and star represent Islam.
- The six-pointed Star of David represents Judaism.
- The four-pointed star resembles the cross, a Christian symbol.
- The seven-pointed star stands for the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
- The eight-pointed star signifies regeneration, or baptism.
Symbols appear often in Aldag’s art, and he learned much of this vocabulary from a book he found years ago, Our Christian Symbols by Friedrich Rest, illustrated by Harold Minton. He enjoyed reading it and still treats it as a valuable resource.
The Craft Behind the Calm
Shine like Stars works as an idea, and it also works as an object. Aldag takes real pleasure in its mark-making: the motion of the sky, the glow around the stars, the patterns on the rooftops. Each element has its own texture, cut by hand into the linoleum.
The result is a scene that feels vibrant and alive without using a wide range of colors. The restraint carries the meaning. Black, white, red, and yellow are enough.
Why It Matters
We live in a time when differences in belief are often treated as reasons for division. Shine like Stars offers another picture. In it, faiths are neighbors who share a village and a sky.
That message carries beyond the Midwest. A viewer in any country can read these symbols and understand the hope behind them. Aldag has taken a famous night sky and given it a new, generous meaning, and his work reminds us that quiet voices in small places can still be heard far away.
Connect & Explore More
Discover more of Michael Aldag’s artwork, follow his latest projects, or support his work through the links below:
- 🎨 Website: michaelaldag.carbonmade.com
- 📱 Facebook: Michael Aldag Fine Artist
- 🏛️ Illinois State Museum Shop: shop.illinoisstatemuseum.org
