I Wanna Hold Your Hand

1965

From 1936 to 1968, Corita Kent was a nun, educator, and administrator for the Roman Catholic order of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Los Angeles. Considered by others in her order to be a “modern nun,” Kent demonstrated her commitment to populism and social consciousness by using a medium—screenprinting—that ensured that her messages were widely accessible. Much of her work juxtaposes the sacred and the secular, for instance combining Beatles lyrics and anti–Vietnam War sentiment with references to spirituality and prayer.