Sean Kenney
is a renowned, award-winning artist who has been creating art with LEGO bricks for nearly 20 years.
His multiple-award-winning traveling exhibitions have been touring globally since 2012, he has authored 9 children’s books, and guest-judged the hit TV show LEGO MASTERS. His work can be found on permanent display at The LEGO Company’s headquarters, in public spaces, and in private art collections worldwide.
“Talented”
– The New York Times
“Inspiring”
– Smithsonian Magazine
“Gifted”
– The LEGO Company
“Incredible”
– The Washington Post
The work
For nearly 20 years Sean has been creating contemporary sculpture with LEGO bricks for high-profile clients like major corporations, high-end department stores, celebrities, billionaires, television shows, and venues around the globe.
His work can be found in public and private collections in the United States, China, the Caribbean, across Europe, Australia and more.
LEGO as an art medium
So why LEGO?
Sean used to be a cartoonist and a graphic designer, but somewhere along the way decided to merge his childhood love of LEGO toys with his artistic endeavors.
LEGO is so intrinsically fun and whimsical, and Sean feels the toy reflects his personality well; he’s structured and organized and logical, but silly and playful. What better medium than a primary-colored children’s toy based on straight lines, rules, and math?
Art doesn’t have to be so serious all the time!
As seen in…
Technique
How do you do that?
Sculptures and portraits are more than just accurate shapes; they have to capture the essence of the original; they have to have a spark, a spirit, a life. Sean loves to put himself into his work, to try to get the glint of a child’s eye, to bring a city block to life, or to imbue humor or anecdote into a piece.
Most of his projects start out as pencil sketches, many end up with serious engineering inside, and in between it all he loves to sit down with a big pile of LEGO pieces and just figure it all out. After all, that’s what you did as a kid, right?
Sean and the LEGO company
Sean does not work for The LEGO Company (but he just might be their best customer!) And while he has never been employed, sponsored, or endorsed by the company, in 2005 Sean became the world’s first LEGO Certified Professional, a title he held for nearly 15 years.
As one of the most pre-eminent experts in his field, Sean has designed and created large-scale sculptures for the LEGO company, worked with them on conceptual product design, and has been asked to represent the company at events and in promotional videos.