Sean Hennessey

About the Artist

Sean Hennessey is a mixed media artist primarily working in glass and living in Baltimore Maryland. His interest in art has grown from his interest in history, science, archaeology, and myth. Raised by his grandparents, part of the Greatest Generation, Sean was brought up with a love of old stories by his bibliophile grandmother and raised to work with his hands by his Sheet Metal Worker grandfather. He studied sculpture at Berea College and began his professional career by building and painting sets for the Barter Theatre. All the while, exhibiting art ranging from fiberglass pieces to paintings to concrete castings, Sean ultimately came to glass by finding the Washington Glass School in Washington, DC. He has been making and exhibiting glass for the past 15 years. His work is in the collections of Amazon Web Services, The City of the District of Columbia, Prince George's County, and The US Arts in Embassies Program. He has created public works for the Aquilino Cancer Center, The Martha Jefferson Hospital, The Howard Theatre, and The Library of Congress. His work is represented by Habatat Gallery (MI), Gallery Arlo (LA), The Gallery of Modern Masters (PA), and Raven Gallery (CO). ​ He is the founder and director of Otis Street Arts Project, an arts incubator, studio center, and gallery just outside Washington, DC.

Artist's Statement

I create works to express my thoughts and feelings of being alive and how I live, grow and change through my existence. In my pieces, I offer ways of thinking about our lives, and hope to provide sincere works meant to inspire others to live thoughtfully and creatively. My work is representational, laced with a sense of longing and memory, pieces that are meant to suggest alternate meanings and metaphors for objects in our lives, both common, and slightly nostalgic. An old door from memory is a portal for change and possibilities that may exist. A lock keeps us away from things we may want, or keeps safe the things we hold near and dear. An old bicycle pump is a symbol of breathing, and a metaphor of the need for relentless action. The main body of my artwork is LED illuminated wall relief sculpture created by kiln-forming window glass, and layered with a combination of drawing, painting, digital prints and found objects. Within the form of traditional didactic architectural relief sculpture I create images and glimpses of suggested stories involving obstacles, hope, growth, acceptance, overcoming, and finding a place in the world.