Life & Work with Enzo Selvaggi of Orange County

Today we’d like to introduce you to Enzo Selvaggi.

Hi Enzo, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Inspired by the excellence and exuberance of Sacred Art in the past, I wanted to bring the same masterful storytelling, the devotion to craft, and obsession with detail to our day — and especially our sacred spaces.

In 2015, I designed my studio’s first mural in a church, in Inglewood. It became a multi-year project that completed one of the Doheny’s great gifts to Los Angeles, and tangibly changed the character of St. John Chrysostom Catholic Church forever. It became a destination. I didn’t do that — beauty and authenticity did that.

What that first project proved is that our generation is ready for art with relevance, meaning, and and objective narrative of values far greater than ourselves.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There is always a temptation to feel inadequate in the shadow of the great artists of the past. But perfection isn’t always what’s required in our day — showing up with a sense of purpose and ‘joie de guerre’, is.

There’s one door to come in, and three to go out — so once I chose the path of art, both as a mission and as a means to build and support a family, it was important for me to “burn the ships”, to make retreat impossible.

I have chosen to differentiate my work by bringing the best and most qualified artisans to the table — the process isn’t always scientific, which can be frustrating to me as the creative director. But many years from now, what viewers will see is an enduring work of art. Clients with a deep outlook know this, and appreciate my desire to only create excellent works of art… it really is true, “great clients make great projects.”

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Heritage Liturgical under my creative direction, and with the direction of Dr. Denis McNamara for our education and publishing outreach, is known for its authentic approach at spiritual renewal through art-based community projects.

While producing fine-art level works of sacred art with generational and patrimonial value, we are also the only sacred art and design architecture consultancy firm in the country with a robust and intentional, expert-driven education component.

We can design the building, and help form the minds and hearts of those who will inhabit them.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
We recommend any book by Dr. Denis McNamara, of course!

But the greatest textbooks are the great works of art themselves — the problem with some academics is the attempt to make the art fit the teaching of the text. It’s the opposite. The masterpieces have to be our teacher, guide, and model, and it is these artifacts which must then inform our reading of the text. First the work, then the theory — and not the other way around.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://heritageliturgical.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heritageliturgical/

Image Credits
Organ Casework, Photo Credit, Joseph Horne 2025