The story of Cody

 Born in Minnesota and raised in Hawaii, Cody grew up surrounded by breathtaking scenery. Amid the rich biodiversity of the Pacific islands, he already felt a strong calling. At eighteen, he traveled to Europe with a one-way ticket and discovered a new kind of beauty — that of humanity itself — expressed through architecture, color, and form. From the streets of Florence to mountain trails and deep inside marble quarries, a powerful desire grew: to celebrate life through splendor and to inspire hope with hands that can shape, mold, and create wonder. This moment sparked Cody Swanson's art — a sculptor, painter, devoted husband, and father, who sees in his children's faces the joy and fullness of life.     

His work moves between the white, dust-covered marble blocks and the harmony of the atelier, where faces and bodies are sculpted with perfect balance, beauty, and strength, seemingly soft in their sheen. To reach that form, Cody knows one must “always seek the line”: the key is to stay courageous, listen to the heart, and never lose hope. 

At the Florence Academy, sculpture classes taught him that reality is not just a single drawing, but many drawings combined to reveal the full three-dimensional vision. Becoming a professional sculptor — and later a master at the School of Sacred Art — showed him that embracing this reality requires patience, passion, and courage. True beauty takes time and devotion. 

In every piece he creates, Cody seeks God. From works sent across Europe and the United States to the Madonna commissioned by the Campus Bio-Medico in Rome, each face in his atelier reflects mystery and the pursuit of something spiritual, inviting contemplation. His art flows between the material and the transcendent, connecting origin and outcome, visible and invisible, guided by beauty that is fertile, generous, and enduring.