Born in 1961 in Newry, Co. Down. Lives and works in Dublin. He studied at Belfast College of Art, the London College of Printing and the Slade School of Fine Art.

Seán Hillen first became known for photomontage works based on his own documentary photos from the era of the Northern Irish 'Troubles'. In the 1990’s he moved back to Dublin from London and began a new series of collage works collectively titled ‘IRELANTIS’, which has since also become well-known and widely admired.

Seamus Heaney opened the exhibition and Fintan O’Toole wrote the introduction for the book. Reproductions of many now grace the covers of contemporary academic publications, particularly on Irish subjects.

He has also executed several commissions and collaborations including video for Super Furry Animals and the Re-Joyce Festival; stage design; advertisements; title graphics for BBC TV; permanent sculptures for Citigroup SA and Dublin City Council; an education project with Amnesty International, and special effects and props for theatre.

In 2007 he won the international design competition, with architect Desmond Fitzgerald, for the Omagh Bomb Memorial, which will be unveiled this August.

His work is in many private and public collections including several in the Permanent Collection of the Imperial War Museum London with some on permanent exhibit at IWM North; in that of Allied Irish Banks; the Irish State Collection; the European Central Bank, The Irish Central Bank; and Microsoft Ltd.

He won the Prankerd-Jones Memorial Prize in the Slade School in 1986 and ’87; the Laura Ashley Memorial Gift in 1990, and has won several other awards and prizes. Hillen has also been an inventor and won 2nd prize overall in the UK Design Council ‘Year of Invention’ in 1990.

His work can be seen at www.irelantis.com, at www.seanhillen.com, and at www.omaghbombmemorial.com