Sean Hagan grew up in the Boston area, the son of two public school teachers. He studied illustration in college, and secured a job as an animator prior to graduating. Eventually he was called to the family business and took a job as a visual arts teacher in Lexington, MA. A few years later, he was hired as the K-12 director of Visual Arts. After ten years in Lexington, he moved on to his current role of Director of Visual Arts in the neighboring town of Bedford, MA. 

In 2010 he began experimenting with painting on wooden panels and creating his own canvases, which proved to be a turning point in his creative process. His subject matter has changed over time, moving from realism to more abstract work, but his illustrative style has remained the constant. His latest theme is using reclaimed wood to create abstract compositions that focus on color and movement.

Artist Statement
It’s like a treasure hunt. In the car or out for a walk, I am always looking for materials; a sturdy palette or discarded piece of furniture that I can take back to my studio and re-work to my will. It’s the discovery and its potential that starts the process for me.
Retrieving the cast off materials and repurposing them to make something new. The materials needn’t be perfect. A chipped panel or cracked board will be worked into a painting as a detail and will ultimately add to the look and feel of the final piece. And that cast off material will become anew, as I incorporate my visions of color, life, and re-invention.