Stephen Hendee

Buisine, a new site-specific artwork, 2024

Reminiscent of old rocks in the region, an organic horizontal band of illuminated polypropylene punctuates the north wall of the performance space. Mirroring the narrative as it unfolds on stage, the sculpture resonates the dynamic events with light.

Stephen Hendee (b. 1968, California, USA) is an innovative sculptor renowned for creating large-scale installations that challenge traditional notions of space and form. Drawing inspiration from the world of digital culture, he is widely regarded as a pioneer of the low-poly aesthetic. Through his work, he translates the vectorized properties of digital design into physical materials, creating real-world simulations of virtual reality spaces.

Hendee's constructed works often reference film and literature, adding an extra layer of depth to his already multifaceted installations. He has exhibited his work at prestigious venues such as the PS.1 Contemporary Art Center, the New Museum, Sculpture Center LIC, and the Whitney Museum of American Art at Altria in New York. His work has also been shown nationally, including exhibitions at the Smart Museum in Chicago, the St. Louis Art Museum, and Rice University Art Gallery in Houston.

Hendee is a professor at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. His work has been recognized with numerous awards, including a 2019 National Endowment for the Arts ArtWorks Grant. Recently, Hendee created a permanent installation at Meow Wolf Omega Mart in Las Vegas, NV, which opened in 2021. He recently completed a commissioned installation for The High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon in 2022.

Hendee's work challenges viewers to consider the relationship between virtual and physical spaces, and how they intersect with our perceptions of reality. His installations are visually stunning and conceptually complex, inviting audiences to explore and engage with the dynamic worlds he creates.