As a conceptual artist, my work takes on many forms. My interests include social engagement and disruptive interventions that counter biased societal structures. The subject matter spans topics such as climate change and homoeroticism in sports to white supremacy/delusion. My practice functions to curate and shift discomfort in all forms to make space for more dialogue and behavioral changes. The work materializes in multiple ways including public art, interactive installations, and sculptures with video and sound elements. I’m interested in contributing to systems and structures of care. Applying conducive architecture, a term I have claimed to give language to functional forms that heal rather than harm. I’m directly responding to the hostile architecture such as spikes on ledges or window sills, used in most cities as an exclusionary design tactic to prevent poor people of color from loitering or resting. My work is an offering of support to meet our basic needs as a society. 

sean.desiree@gmail.com

Sean Desiree (b. Bronx, NY)

Fellowships
2024 Thayer Fellowship, State University of New York

2022 Socrates Sculpture Park Fellowship, Queens, NY

2022 Leslie Lohman Artist Fellowship, New York, NY

2020 More Art Engaging Artists Fellowship, New York, NY

Residencies
2022 MASS MoCA Residency, North Adams, MA

2021 More Art Engaging Artists Residency, New York, NY

2021 Wave Hill Winter Workspace, Bronx, NY

Commissions
2022 Let Us Keep You Warm, Socrates Sculpture Park, Queens, NY

2021 BEAM ENSEMBLE, More Art, Crotona Park, Bronx, NY

Exhibitions
2024 MFA Thesis Exhibition, University Art Museum, Albany, NY

2024 Processing Through Movement, Athens Cultural Center, Athens, NY

2021 i-de-al-is-tic, University Art Museum, Albany, NY

2021 National Art Dealers Association Exhibition, Foreland, Catskill, NY

2021 Frame/Unframe, Albany Center Gallery, Albany, NY

2019 LIFTED: Public Housing, An Aerial Perspective, MINNA, Hudson, NY

Teaching
2023 3D Design, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY

2019 Carpenter Instructor, Soul Fire Farm, Grafton, NY

2015-2018 Carpenter Instructor, Emma Willard School, Troy, NY

Guest Speaker
2021 Artist Talk, Wave Hill, Bronx, NY
2020 Artist Talk, Tufts University, Medford, MA
2020 Uncertainty Seminaries, Stroom Den Haag, The Hague, NL

Education

2024 State University of New York at Albany, MFA Fine Art, Albany, NY

2024 Showhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Madison, ME

2024 Coding Temple, Full Stack Software Engineering

2021 SUNY at New Paltz, BA Communications and Minor in Music, New Paltz, NY

Publications

2021 PIN-UP Magazine, Oct. 9, Major Symphony: Sean Desiree’s Interactive Sculpture Counters Classical Music’s Exclusion
Link

2021 The Architect’s Newspaper, Sept. 20, Sean Desiree’s Beam Ensemble pays tribute to Black musical Traitions
Link

2021 untapped new york, Sept. 1, 16 New Public Art Installations in NYC
Link

2021 artnet, Feb. 23, A Group Exhibition in Upstate New York Examines Black Excellence in an Imperfect World
Link

2020 Medium, Nov. 19, Building Solidarity Through Woodworking
Link