Sean Connelly

Dr. Sean Connelly (1984, Kanaka Hawai‘i / Pacific Islander American/ Illocano) is an artist born, residing, and working in Honolulu, Kona, Oʻahu. Sean actively organizes collaborative decolonial projects in sculpture, architecture, film and cartography that supports Native liberation in place, Hawai‘i and beyond.

Sean Connelly (He/They. O‘ahu, Oceania) is a founding board member of Protect Our Ala Wai Watersheds (POAWW), a grassroots advocacy group that successfully sued the State of Hawai‘i to halt a United States Army Corps of Engineers proposal to build seven detention basins in the last remaining native portion of stream in Waikīkī in 2019. Current installations include a sculpture at Thomas Square commissioned by the City and County of Honolulu Arts Commission (2021). Connelly’s sculptures have been included in exhibitions at the Honolulu Museum of Art, the Honolulu Biennial, and the Akron Art Museum.His work has been referenced in numerous scholarly works including Art Journal, BLDGBLOG, Pacific Arts Journal, Places Journal and more. Sean holds a Doctorate in Architecture from the University of Hawai‘i, a Master's in Design from Harvard University Graduate School of Design.