Born in Dublin in 1971, Dony Mac Manus graduated with a Bachelor of Design (1995) and a Higher Diploma in Art and Design Teaching (1998) from the National College of Art and Design, Dublin, Ireland. The work from his degree show was selected by the National Museum of Ireland for permanent display to launch the contemporary silver exhibit collection.

In 2011, Dony founded the Sacred Art School in Florence to train contemporary artists to be able to understand the sacred art tradition and to bring it forward to the next generations. In the words of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger “forward in tradition. In 2020, he came to the United States to marry Kristine from New York and settle in Falls Church, Virginia where he is building a teaching studio for private students while working on large bronze civic art commissions.

When asked about the role of prayer in creating his works, Dony explained:

“Art is the overflow of the interior life of the artist. If that interior life is filled with Love and gift of self (Christ) then it will overflow with the same and transform the culture in a positive way. If I am to expect people to be able to pray with my work for hours, then I need to put those hours of prayer into the work for them to draw it out. This is an invitation and a unique forum for discovery for those interested in this direction of work.

Many of the students over the years have been profoundly transformed by this formation and fourteen (14) have been confirmed in the Catholic Faith as a result. It was for this, among other reasons, that the Cardinal Archbishop of Florence Giuseppe Betori asked me to found the Sacred Art School Firenze. “

For more information about this artist, please visit donymacmanus.com.