Biography:
Born in Newry in 1961, Sean studied at the Belfast College of Art. In 1982, he traveled to London to continue his studies at the London College of Printing, and then at the Slade School of Fine Art. He traveled back and forth between Ireland and England over the course of several years. He photographed scenes related to the conflict in Northern Ireland. He later incorporated these photographs into photomontage work. Eventually, he began to take photographs with the photomontage as his priority.
In 1993, Hillen returned to Ireland. Between 1994 and 1997, he created a new body of work entitled Irelantis. The Irelantis series is a collection of scalpel-and-glue collages. These works are partly influenced by the famous picture postcards of John Hinde. Hillen adapts these nostalgic images, juxtaposing the familiar touristic shots to create an altogether different and complex image.
The Irelantis series and book was launched in the Gallery of Photography in 1999.
In 2004, an exhibition and publication of Hillen’s work from the Troubles was organised by the Gallery of Photography and exhibited in the Centre Culturel Irlandais in. His new work, which examines the post 9-11 political landscape, was launched in the Gallery of Photography this year.
Hillen has worked in other media and art forms, including sculpture, video, illustration, performance, stage and graphic design. In 2007 Hillen won the Design Competition for the Omagh Bomb Memorial, which was completed this year to public acclaim.
The piece in the current exhibition is from Hillen’s landmark Irelantis series.
