Situated in the Eastern end of the Cathedral next to the Lady Chapel is a 50cm x 140cm mosaic of Saint Dominic (1170 - 1221), Castilian Catholic priest and founder of the Dominican Order.
The artwork was produced by liturgical artist James Blackstone and is the outcome of The Art of Worship – a three-month long artist residency that took place in 2022.
The mosaic of Saint Dominic is made of glass from Murano, Venice. The glass tesserae are cut and set into wet lime plaster as a working surface, before being set permanently into mortar. Saint Dominic is shown with bare feet, carrying a crossed staff, signifying his itinerant life. He also carries a copy of the gospels from which he preached. The vestments he wears, for the Dominican order, were developed in his own lifetime.
Saint Richard (Bishop of Chichester, 1244 – 1253) was prepared for the priesthood by the Dominican Order in Orléans and St Dominic’s apostolic spirituality informed his ministry across the Diocese of Chichester (of which the Cathedral is the Mother Church, and encompasses the counties of East and West Sussex). The Cathedral has drawn inspiration from Dominican life within its new vision, due to be published in September 2022.
