John Alexander O'Donnell

John was born in Dublin in 1963, where his passion for art grew from a young age and where he would eventually go on to study Fine Art. He has always held a strong connection to Ireland, having roots in Monaree, a small part of the Dingle Peninsula. Throughout his life, John has lived in both Ireland and South Africa and travelled globally for his work.

 

He spent almost 30 years living in South Africa, where he raised his family with his wife Leonie, who is also an artist and who has travelled for her own exhibitions. During the early years in South Africa, John and Leonie owned a small art gallery in the Valley of a Thousand Hills, Kwazulu Natal, travelling home to Ireland yearly. His children all share a passion for art (theatre, illustration and traditional art.)

John and Leonie moved back to Ireland in 2018 to settle permanently. John has continued to paint and write, but recently started building a significant collection of new work and poetry. John is currently collaborating with various artists and foundations in Ireland with exciting plans for 2025. He recently exhibited at Woven curated by Hambly & Hambly at the Sasse Museum of Art in Los Angeles, USA (May 2023) and curated the highly publicised auctions and exhibitions: Trinity Access Programmes: The Essence of Student Life  (November 2023, deVeres) and A Community of Hope: Artists for Dublin Simon (December 2023-2024, Adams Auctioneers and Gormleys)