Biography
Seán Hillen (b. 1961) is an Irish artist whose work includes collages and the creative use of photographs. Hillen studied at Belfast College of Art, and continued his studies at the London College of Printing, and the Slade School of Fine Art. His early work, documenting the conflict in Northern Ireland, gained him international acclaim. The images were featured on the covers of Creative Camera and Royal Photographic Journal, and can be seen in his book Melancholy Witness. These works were later the basis of Hillen’s current work in the medium of photo montage.
In 1993 Seán Hillen began his project “Irelantis”, consisting of collages of kitsch images from postcards and landmarks around Ireland. These works are fantastical and comical all at once, with the use of nostalgic imagery of postcards. His works appear in many private and public collections including the Permanent Collection of the Imperial War Museum, the Newry & Mourne Museum, Wolverhampton Museum, Allied Irish Bank, the Irish State Collection, the European Central Bank, The Irish Central Bank, Citigroup SA, Swiss Re., and Microsoft Ltd.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2011 What’s Wrong with the Consolations of Genius, Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin
2009 Alliance Francaise, Dublin
2008 Irish Gallery of Photography, Dublin
2005 Dublin City Council Gallery, Dublin
2004 Mois de la Photo, Paris
Selected Group Exhibitions
2013 Two Person Exhibition with Stephanie Rowe, Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin
2013 Launch, SO Fine Art Editions, Dublin
2010 Wildly Different Things, New York and Dublin
2007 Collective Histories of Northern Irish Art, Belfast
2006 Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition, Dublin
2005 Contemporary Art from Ireland, Frankfurt and Dublin