Today we’d like to introduce you to Sean Kenney.
Hi Sean, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve been building and playing with LEGO toys my whole life. I was a total “LEGO maniac” when I was a kid, and LEGO toys were usually the only toys I ever asked for when my birthday would come around each year. I kept building LEGO models all through childhood and even into my teenage and adult years. My models slowly became more involved and elaborate as I got older, and eventually, I started building LEGO models professionally. Now it’s my full-time career.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I’ve been fortunate that I have met with success. My work has been exhibited all across North America, Asia, Australia, and Europe; I’ve created hundreds of commissioned pieces for television, major global corporations, and private collectors. I was a licensed business partner with the LEGO company for over 10 years, and I have a lot of really excited and passionate fans. What I do is a lot of fun, and I enjoy it so much!
I think the biggest challenge I face is convincing people that you really can actually create actual art with LEGO bricks. Many people hear “LEGO” and, without looking, assume I must be doing something childish. But I like to push the envelope of what’s possible with this medium; to create the kinds of things that people have never seen before. I want to create sculptures with meaning and emotion, or with humor or joy.
People get it once they see it. But sometimes, it’s hard to convince people to come to look. 🙂
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am an award-winning artist that has been creating art with LEGO bricks professionally for over 15 years from my studio in Brooklyn, New York and now from Amsterdam in The Netherlands. My traveling exhibitions have been touring globally since 2012. I have authored 9 LEGO-themed children’s books, and guest-judged the hit TV show LEGO MASTERS.
For over 15 years, I’ve been creating contemporary sculptures with LEGO bricks for high-profile clients like major corporations, high-end department stores, celebrities, billionaires, television shows, and venues around the globe. My work can be found in public and private collections in the United States, China, the Caribbean, across Europe, Australia, and more.
LEGO is so intrinsically fun and whimsical, and I think the toy reflects my personality well; I’m 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!
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. I love to put myself into my 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 my projects start out as pencil sketches, many end up with serious engineering inside, and in between it all I love to sit down with a big pile of LEGO pieces and just figure it all out. After all, that’s the fun of it all!
I do not work for The LEGO Company (but I just might be their best customer!) I’ve never been employed, sponsored, or endorsed by the company, but we maintain an informal working relationship. As one of the most pre-eminent experts in the field, I’ve designed and created large-scale sculptures for the LEGO company, worked with them on conceptual product design, and have been asked to represent the company at events and in promotional videos. In 2005, I became the world’s first “LEGO Certified Professional”, a title which I held until 2019.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.seankenney.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/seankenneyart/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/seankenneyart/
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/seankenney
Image Credits
Sean Kenney
