The original title of this painting is"Mary and Mohammed, Paris, La Gaule."

You would think that "Mary and Mohammed" has a religious connotation. If that were the case, you could argue that it's an incendiary one - both Mary and Mohammed being sacrosanct figures in their respective religions. The idea of Mary breastfeeding Mohammed then seems outrageous.

You'd be wrong. The painting is inspired by a friend of mine. Mary and I went to the same middle school and grew up in the same city, Aubergenville, 30 miles west of Paris. She's since married a Muslim. Their first-born child is Mohammed. In a sense, the painting can be perceived as a nod to France having become a melting pot. The country has the largest population of Muslims in Europe - and of Jews in the world outside Israel and the United States. A melting pot or a place of conflict, where integration and social cohesion seem elusive.

Or, perhaps, Mary and Mohammed are not anchored in reality, but fictional. The artwork celebrates the harmony that shall develop between races and religions. Coexistence is mission-critical for a society to thrive.