They are the work of Zoran Tosic, of Sheffield, who was awarded prestigious art prizes in Australia, where he lived before moving to England in 2005. The icons were painted using traditional media including natural and semi-precious pigments, oil, gold and silver on board.

Mr Tosic describes iconography as art that was initiated to open the window into the world where the primordial Light shines and to bring the observer closer to that world through colours, as expression of light.

He said: "I hope that through these icons each visitor may find a seed of inspiration that will add more happiness
on their own path to God."

When Mr Tosic received the first prize in Roma Easter Art Exhibition in Australia in 2001, his work was praised by
the Assistant Curator of the National Gallery of Queensland, Joanna Bosse, as"a truly outstanding work by a very talented icon painter".

Divine Mother may be seen in St John's Chapel at the Minster until April 15.