Johnny McDonald

Johnny Christian McDonald Sauceda Castillo (born February 14, 1977), professionally known as Johnny McDonald, is a Honduran cartoonist, visual artist, and sculptor. He is recognized as a pioneer of public art in Honduras and the creator of the National Human Rights Award.
McDonald is known for creating caricature masks and community art projects. His art promotes human rights and environmental awareness, and his works are displayed in galleries across Honduras, North America, Europe, and Asia.
==Early life and education==
McDonald was born on February 14, 1977, in Valle de Ángeles, Honduras, the youngest of five children. His parents, Don Víctor McDonald, a pioneer in local crafts, and Doña Leticia Castillo, a ceramic artisan, significantly influenced his early artistic development. 
McDonald graduated from the National School of Fine Arts in 1994. He pursued further education in Art History and Sculpture in Havana, Cuba, Urban Art and Painting in Madrid, Spain, and completed a course on Human Rights and Art in Guatemala.
==Career==
McDonald is a visual artist. His career spans a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, murals, and caricature masks. He is a teacher of the arts and focuses on social and cultural issues through his works. McDonald is a staunch advocate for human and environmental rights, with his ideological stances influencing much of his work.
His projects include community mural workshops, art restoration, and workshops in prisons, aimed at social inclusion through art. McDonald is also known for creating monuments that pay homage to various sectors of Honduran society, such as the elderly, coffee workers, and national figures like Lempira. His notable works include the Hummingbird Mural in Ecuador, the SICA Integration Mural in Chile, and the Morazán Monument in Nicaragua.
Throughout his career, McDonald has contributed to art exhibitions globally and his works are found in prestigious galleries in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. In addition, he has co-authored the Antología del Bicentenario de Centroamérica as a visual artist, contributing a portrait of the renowned Honduran poet Juan Ramón Molina.
==Awards and recognitions==
McDonald has received numerous national and international accolades for his artistic contributions. Some of his notable awards include:
* First International Prize "Flag of Peace" in Sofia, Bulgaria
* Silver Medal at the Arts Festival in Tokyo, Japan
* The Liquidambar Leaf award by the Ministry of Culture and Arts in Honduras in 2023
* The Clementina Suárez National Painting Prize
* Great Golden Laurel from the Ministry of Culture and Arts of Honduras
* In 2023, he was named Ambassador of Art and Culture by the Honduran Government
* Honorary Doctorate from the Anti Amaru Corporation of Visual, Poetic, and Sound Arts of Ecuador (2023)
* César Vallejo Award (Peru, 2024)
* Nominated as one of the “50 Best Artists in the World” at the Seoul Art Festival (2013)
* He is also the only plastic artist to be honored with a plaque on the Walk of Fame in Tegucigalpa 
* McDonald has been recognized as a child prodigy by the Ministry of Culture in Honduras.
==Personal life==
McDonald is married to his wife, Veronica de McDonald. They have three children.
==Gallery==
==References==
Category:1977 births
Category:Honduran artists
Category:Sculptors
Category:Cartoonists
Category:Visual artists