The curator of Canterbury Cathedral in the United Kingdom says she has faced personal attacks from Christians after the unveiling of a controversial art exhibit inside the ancient church.

Jacquiline Creswell, who has worked with cathedral art for over a decade, said the backlash over the temporary graffiti installation called Hear Us has been “hurtful.” The exhibit, created by artist Alex Vellis, featured graffiti-style stickers pasted onto the cathedral’s medieval stone pillars with phrases such as “Are you there?” and “Why did you create hate when love is by far more powerful?”

The artwork was meant to amplify minority voices and highlight difficult questions people wrestle with about faith. But it quickly went viral on social media, drawing condemnation from political and cultural leaders.

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance criticized the display, calling it an ironic attempt to “honor marginalized communities by making a beautiful historical building really ugly.” Tech mogul Elon Musk also weighed in, calling the graffiti “shameful” and accusing the Church of England of “debasing themselves.”

Creswell said that much of the harsh response has come from those who identify as Christians, which she found particularly painful.

“The amount of personal abuse Alex and I have received on social media, from people who are ‘Christian’… that has been hurtful,” Creswell told Premier Christian News. “In no way did we want to desecrate the building. I don’t think asking God a question is anything other than a beautiful reflection, and even a form of prayer.”

This is not the first time Creswell has been at the center of controversy. During her time as arts curator at Salisbury Cathedral, she said she was verbally and even physically abused by people who objected to certain exhibits. Critics once accused her of turning the sacred space into “a theme park.”

Still, Creswell has argued that challenging installations can open the door to meaningful dialogue. “Often, an installation is successful because it stirs comment,” she explained in an earlier interview. “That’s the opportunity to engage with people, and often the most productive conversations follow.”

The debate has unfolded inside one of the most revered Christian sites in the world. Canterbury Cathedral, founded in A.D. 597 by Augustine of Canterbury, has been a central symbol of English Christianity for more than 1,400 years. It was the site of the infamous 1170 murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket, a martyr whose death shaped both church and state in medieval England.

For many, the idea of graffiti inside such a historic and sacred building felt disrespectful. For others, it represented an attempt to bring honest human struggles before God in a visible way.